Cam Newton passes for 315 yards, two TDs as Panthers beat Saints 27-22

Before Sunday, it usually wasn’t a good sign when Cam Newton passed for more than 300 yards in a game. The Carolina Panthers were 1-7 when he did.

Win No. 2 came Sunday.

The Panthers (3-0) topped the New Orleans Saints 27-22 on Sunday on a day when the weather didn’t seem to affect either team’s passing game.

Even without Drew Brees, the Saints (0-3) still were efficient in the air, going 31-of-38 for 310 yards with backup Luke McCown, who was getting his first start since 2011.

The Panthers led 27-16 midway through the final quarter but allowed a quick Saints score that cut the lead to five.

With the Saints driving and 1:17 left, McCown looked to the end zone for wide receiver Brandin Cooks, but Carolina cornerback Josh Norman came up with the game-saving interception instead.

Three who mattered

Greg Olsen: It was Olsen’s second career game of more than 100 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. The first came against Denver in 2012. He finished with 134 yards receiving on eight catches, including a 52-yarder that was his longest catch as a Panther.

Teddy Williams: The cornerback made a great play on Carolina’s first punt to keep it out of the end zone and at the New Orleans 6. But in the third quarter he ran out of bounds as a gunner and didn’t re-establish himself quickly enough, forcing the Panthers to re-punt. The Saints returned that second chance for a touchdown.

Josh Norman: Norman had some trouble against speedster Brandin Cooks at times, but he came up big when it mattered most with the game-saving interception.

Observations

▪  McCown, who hadn’t completed a pass in a regular season game since 2011, had just one incompletion in his 14 throws in the first quarter.

▪  The Panthers expected the Saints to run their normal offense, continuing to spread the ball around with McCown at quarterback instead of Brees, and they were right. McCown targeted nine different players Sunday.

▪  The Panthers had two plays of 50-plus yards, throws to Ted Ginn Jr. and Olsen.

▪  Luke Kuechly missed his second consecutive game because of a concussion, but this week he was the team’s biggest cheerleader on the sideline. Last week he stayed inside the training room but fired up the Panthers’ defense at halftime.

Worth mentioning

▪  Charles Johnson left the game in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury. It is the same hamstring that he injured last week, missing two practices. There’s concern he could miss multiple weeks because of the injury.

▪  Star Lotulelei got his first start of the season. He has battled a stress reaction to his surgically repaired foot since early August. Receiver Kevin Norwood was inactive in favor of Brenton Bersin one week after Norwood’s lone target bounced off him and was intercepted.

▪  Marcus Murphy’s 74-yard punt return for a touchdown was the first punt return touchdown the Panthers had allowed since November’s loss to the Eagles on Monday Night Football.

They said it

“We challenge them to be the ones to step up. As a defensive coach that’s what you want because you have confidence in those guys.” – Panthers coach Ron Rivera, on his defense’s play on the final drive.

“Some of the other guys not as much, but Charles certainly.” – Rivera, on his injury concerns, particularly Charles Johnson’s hamstring.

“You’ve got to start getting your hands up. When the ball’s coming out in rhythm, they can be very effective.” – Rivera, on the inability to get to Saints quarterback Luke McCown.

“Everyone’s aware of (being 0-3) obviously; this is not where we want to be right now. This is a pretty tough spot to get yourself out of it.” – Saints center Max Unger.

“Points and drives were at a premium, and we had to respond.” – Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, on the touchdown drive that cut into a 10-0 Saints lead.

P@nthers

This story was originally published September 27, 2015 at 4:19 PM with the headline "Cam Newton passes for 315 yards, two TDs as Panthers beat Saints 27-22."