Carolina Panthers vs. New Orleans Saints: Bryce Young struggles as Panthers fall to 1-12
The Panthers did what they’ve so often done on Sunday — holding in check the opposing offense but failing to provide any scoring of their own.
And now they’re 1-12.
Carolina, already eliminated from the playoffs, fell to NFC South rival New Orleans Saints (6-7) in the Superdome in Louisiana, 28-6, in a game where the offensively challenged Panthers strummed all their greatest hits. That included squandering a late-first-half interception, furnishing a few turnovers on their own — one of which was a blocked punt for a touchdown — and missing a field goal that could’ve cut the game to 14-9 late in the fourth quarter.
Bryce Young finished 13-of-36 passing for 137 yards and a fumble recovered by the Saints. Adam Thielen got going again with five catches and 74 yards to his name. The Panthers’ run game had a banner day — even if it didn’t bear any scoring fruit — with Chuba Hubbard running the ball 23 times for 87 yards and Miles Sanders taking 10 carries for 74 (most of which came on a 48-yard scamper in the second half).
Saints starting QB Derek Carr threw 18 completions for 119 yards and two touchdowns and one interception, and running back Alvin Kamara had 56 yards and one rushing touchdown.
Here’s a recap of the biggest plays and moments as they happened in Sunday’s contest.
Panthers-Saints score
Q4: Saints 28, Panthers 6
Live updates from Superdome
Fourth quarter
4:29: The Saints score again via a Jimmy Graham touchdown. Fourteen points in the last minute and a half. That quick and fruirful drive was paved by a turnover on downs deep in the Panthers’ own territory. The Panthers will fall to 1-12.
5:59: And that should do it. The Saints cap off a five-play, 63-yard drive with a seven yard reception from Chris Olave, who beats corner Jaycee Horn on a slant. The biggest play of the drive came via a 43-yard connection between Derek Carr and AT Perry.
14:00: An Eddy Pineiro 41-yard field goal bounces off the upright, and that renders a promising drive scoreless. Another special teams blunder. Panthers still trail, 14-6. A strange stat that was true entering the fourth quarter: Bryce Young has more than double Derek Carr’s passing yardage. Young was 7 of 21 for 85 yards (and a fumble); Car was 12 of 18 for 37 yards and an interception.
Third quarter
5:00: A 48-yard run by Miles Sanders — an agile sprint to the 1 yard line for the struggling but undeniably talented running back — ends without a touchdown. That’s thanks to a run stuffed at the line by the stout Saints, a sack and then an incompletion on third down.. 14-6, Saints still lead.
Second quarter
0:00: On fourth-and-1, the Panthers go deep and turn the ball over on downs. Another questionable fourth down call for a second straight week. But then the Saints’ Derek Carr gets picked off, courtesy of a Derrick Brown deflection and catch at the line of scrimmage. But then the Panthers do as they’ve so often done this cursed year and squander another opportunity: The offense sees four incompletions close the half. The Panthers only needed 10 yards to get comfortably in field goal range — with 18 seconds and all three timeouts — and come away with no points.
4:37: A protection breakdown leads to a block, a Saints touchdown and an injured Johnny Hekker. The first big mistake by the Chris Tabor-led special teams unit. 14-3, Saints lead. Take a look at what went down here:
9:16: The Panthers are on the board thanks to an Eddy Pineiro 47-yard field goal. That closes the 12-play, 46-yard, 5:39-long drive. The highlight of the possession came on a third down where Bryce Young scrambled left for 21 yards. Young’s stat-line isn’t great — he’s 1 for 8 for 18 yards with an interception — but he’s largely done well under pressure and is taking more shots down the field than usual. Panthers cut the game closer, 7-3.
13:15: Chuba Hubbard was tended to on the field and visited the blue tent briefly. It looked like he was clutching his knee. But he’s since reentered the game and looks fine.
14:55: On the first play of the second quarter, Alvin Kamara takes a handoff left and plunges into the end zone from nine yards out. That punctuates a six-play, 44-yard drive.
First quarter
6:22: Bryce Young gets pressured, gets hit as he throws — and a flailing-in-the-wind football finds the hands of Saints linebacker Pete Werner. The Saints have a short field to work with once more. For what it’s worth: This is the most aggressive of a passing game — particularly downfield — the Panthers have had all season.
8:34: The Saints see an 11-play, 45-yard drive that lasted 4:57 end in a missed field goal from 29 yards out. The Panthers have only allowed one touchdown on their opponent’s opening possession.
14:37: After the first play of the game, Justin McCray is on the field and getting tended to. Yet another injury for this snakebit offensive line. He’s getting carted off the field.
Kickoff, 1:03 p.m.: The Saints won the toss and elected to defer. The Bryce Young-led offense will be featured on the field first. And we’re ready to go!
12:45 p.m.: A question you may have throughout this one: Why are all the players’ cleats distinctly colorful today? The answer derives from “My Cause, My Cleats,” which is an NFL initiative that encourages players to have their kicks customized in order to bring awareness to an off-the-field cause or foundation that they hold close to their heart. The Observer spotlighted this effort a few times this week: Mike Kaye wrote about tight end duo Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas and their decision to sport orange-dripped shoes to promote Autism Charlotte, and Alex Zietlow wrote about the Panthers’ team artist behind all the magic.
11:45 a.m. ET: Inactive announcements just dropped, and we’re about an hour and 15 minutes away from kickoff! Keep it here for all scores and highlights and analysis. Here’s a quick look at what Observer reporter Mike Kaye is hearing and seeing on the Superdome turf:
How to watch Carolina-New Orleans NFL game
The Panthers, 1-11 and 0-1 under their second head coach this season, will travel to the Superdome in Louisiana for their Week 14 contest at 1 p.m. on Sunday. The team opened as 5.5-point underdogs with the over/under initially set at 39, per FanDuel Sportsbook.
Fans can catch the game on FOX. Kenny Albert (play by play) and Jonathan Vilma (analyst) will be in the booth, with Shannon Spake on the sideline. They can also listen to it on WRFX 99.7 FM, if local, or on their corresponding Panthers Radio Network channel.
Inactives for Saints-Panthers
The Panthers hit another milestone on their quest for full health on Sunday after announcing starting safety Vonn Bell and tight end Tommy Tremble are active for today’s contest against the Saints. But that also means there were a few healthy scratches.
Here’s a look at Carolina’s inactive list: Among them: CB Shaquill Griffin, S Jammie Robinson, OLB Eku Leota, OT Ricky Lee, TE Hayden Hurst (concussion protocol), WR Terrace Marshall Jr., DE DeShawn Williams (knee).
The Saints have also had plenty injury questions to answer this week. The most consequential of which was the health of Derek Carr, who was cleared from concussion protocol earlier this week and will start. The team’s inactives: QB Jake Haener (third QB), QB Taysom Hill, DE Isaiah Foskey, RB Kendre Miller, DT PJ Mustipher, LB Monty Rice and WR Rashid Shaheed.
Can Panthers upset the Saints?
Observer columnist Scott Fowler is leading the way this season with a 10-2 record. Alex Zietlow and Langston Wertz Jr. each boast 8-4 records, and Mike Kaye sits at 7-5.
Mike Kaye: Panthers 20, Saints 17. The Saints are bad, the Panthers are worse, but there is something about this game that intrigues me from the Carolina perspective. Derek Carr is nursing an injury and the Saints are struggling to find consistency. The Panthers are due another upset win, and this game feels primed for a surprise. Ride the Chuba Hubbard train, I say.
Scott Fowler: Saints 19, Panthers 13. On a neutral site, I think this is an even game. The Saints are pretty unimpressive. However, they have always been a tough team to beat in New Orleans, where the crowd noise reverberates and the press box is ice cold and about 10 miles off the ground (yes, I’m a little bitter). Carolina falls to 1-12 as the season trudges on.
Langston Wertz Jr.: Saints 20, Panthers 17: Is this the same score the Saints won by over the Panthers in Week 2? Yep. The Saints have lost three straight and Derek Carr may not start, which means Jameis Winston may get the call (that could be a net positive for the Panthers). Neither one of these teams is very good, but the Saints (5-7) have much more to play for. If New Orleans can end its three-game losing streak Sunday, the schedule will continue to be in its favor. A win gets the Saints back into the NFC South title picture. The guess here? They get it.
Alex Zietlow: Panthers 27, Saints 20. Let’s assume Saints quarterback Jameis Winston will start on Sunday. Let’s then pray that his throw-anything-and-everything mentality is somehow absorbed by this largely dysfunctional Panthers offense, and that this game is replete with points and turnovers and refreshing avant-garde-ism. Let’s then do something absolutely crazy and predict the Panthers cross the 20-point final score threshold for the first time since Week 6 and that the defense continues to ball. I know ... I’m asking a lot of you here ... but I’m down to roll this dice if you are. Give me a Panthers dub.
Predictions from BR, CBS, The Ringer
Bleacher Report: Three of BR’s seven NFL experts picked the Panthers to win this one. Their rationale isn’t particularly enthusiastic.
CBS: Pete Prisco chooses against the Panthers, who are embarking on their second of three consecutive road contests.
The Ringer: Sheil Kapadia is picking the Panthers because the Saints are banged up. Taysom Hill didn’t practice Wednesday, and Derek Carr’s availability is in question.
This story was originally published December 8, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
