Grading the Carolina Panthers in their loss at the New Orleans Saints

If you can’t do the little things, like make extra points and short field goals, and give up chunk plays late, you’re not going to win on the road against the New Orleans Saints.

The Carolina Panthers put themselves in position to lead and possibly win late Sunday, but Joey Slye missed a makeable field goal after previously missing two point-after tries. The Saints came away with a 34-31 victory at the Superdome.

Grading the Panthers:

Passing offense

B: That was such an accurate long throw from Kyle Allen (three touchdowns and no interceptions) to D.J. Moore for the Panthers’ first touchdown. Less showy — but maybe more important, considering how poorly Allen played the prior week — he showed good judgment in throwing under zone coverage, finding Christian McCaffrey for eight first-half completions, including the touchdown to end the half. Moore hurt his left arm at the end of the first half, and toughed through it for a terrific second half.

Rushing offense

C-plus: McCaffrey’s numbers weren’t great — 3 yards per carry — but his rare change-of-direction and running patience was particularly on display in that 4-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter. It looked like he took about 50 small steps to keep throwing defenders off balance on his way to the end zone. That term “wiggle” you want from a tailback? He has it. Two plunges a yard from the end zone came up short in the fourth quarter before Panthers went to the pass and Allen found Moore in the end zone.

Passing defense

D: Michael Thomas got free from James Blackberry for a long gain that crossed midfield on the Saints’ last drive. Then, Alvin Kamara went over the middle, beating safety Eric Reid. Unnecessary roughness on Tre Boston, when he hit Saints receiver Ted Ginn, gave the Saints a first down in the third quarter. That extended a drive that ended with a Jared Cook catch over Reid for a 20-yard TD. Boston atoned for his mistake by picking off Drew Brees in the fourth quarter.

Rushing defense

C: Reid had plenty of bad plays Sunday, but that stop of Kamara on fourth-and-inches in the fourth quarter was stout. However, Kamara had gashed the Panthers earlier, cutting up the middle in the third quarter to set up a Thomas touchdown catch for what became a 31-18 lead.

Special teams

F: Rashaan Gaulden made a massive mistake early in punt-return formation that gave the Saints an extra possession on a turnover — the last thing the Panthers could afford as visitors in the Superdome. But Slye’s day was even worse: Missing two PATs and a short field goal that would have given the Panthers the lead late.

Coaching

C-plus: Ron Rivera won a challenge of a non-call on defensive pass interference that was a good risk, and not just because he won it. However, it didn’t do much for the Panthers, who still ended up missing a field goal without burning much clock before the two-minute warning. Clock management wasn’t great late in the first half, but McCaffrey got into the end zone on an Allen pass to the flat.

This story was originally published November 24, 2019 at 4:35 PM.