Panthers vs. Saints game review: Ugly wins still count

Panthers snap their five game losing steak in a way only they can

Wins are wins. If you are the Carolina Panthers, they don’t come by often enough to start being picky about what they look like. In a back and forth game versus the division rival New Orleans Saints, the Panthers came out on top despite gaining under 250 yards total, losing the turnover margin and allowing over 425 yards. In fact, they were the first team in the Super Bowl era to do all of the above and still come out of the week 1-0.

Did the Panthers snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, or did they just not get in the way as the Saints snatched defeat from the jaws of victory? I don’t know the answer to that, but honestly I’m too happy to care. If you are a fan whose turned to schadenfreude as the primary source for your Panthers-related enjoyment, this might be your Super Bowl because less than 24 hours after Sweet Caroline played in Bank of America Stadium, the Saints ownership have fired their head coach.

Simply put, the Panthers did just enough to win this game while the Saints did just enough to lose it, and for this week’s game review I get the honor of breaking down what that looked like.

How the Panthers Won

Bryce Young played on of the best two games of his career on Sunday and certainly his best of the 2024 season. Granted, that is a low bar to clear but Young’s performance on Sunday was a lot more good than bad. Young had some of the best throws of his career including a dime to David Moore that was dropped and a perfectly placed throw on the run to Xavier Legette that somehow ended up in the Saints hands for an interception. Young’s 26 yard dart to Legette on 3rd and 10 during the Panthers game winning touchdown drive was probably the most crucial play of the game, possibly even his career given the circumstances and outcome. For more on Young’s performance, I’d encourage you to watch the QB School’s breakdown.

Defensively, the Panthers cornerbacks made life very difficult for Derek Carr. According to PFF, the top three graded Panthers defenders where cornerbacks Dane Jackson (81.2 grade), Mike Jackson (79.8 grade) and Jaycee Horn (72.6 grade). According to NextGenStats, neither Horn nor Mike Jackson gave up a single reception as the closest defender to the football on Sunday – an impressive feat.

On the whole, the Panthers much maligned defense came through big in a few spots even if they couldn’t force a turnover. On the Saints first two possessions they scored field goals after marching down into the red zone. If either of those field goals was a touchdown, the Panthers most likely lose this game. While it might seem crazy to heap praise on a defense for giving up points, the Panthers red zone defense started the season out as one of the worst of all time, so holding back to back drives to just 6 points instead of 14 like they’ve frequently done this season, is progress.

How the Saints lost

Running back Alvin Kamara had 35 touches for 215 yards and I don’t think they used him enough, or at least not correctly. The Panthers had no answer for Kamara, but they chose to go away from him at the worst possible times. Between taking the ball out of Kamara’s hands in the red zone to turtling up on 4th and 1 with a 5 point lead and a chance to ice the game, the Saints used and abused Kamara except when it mattered most.

Carr wasn’t on his game either, and it cost the Saints dearly. For one, Carr might not have been healthy enough to play. He didn’t look comfortable and very few of his throws looked like they came off his hand with enough power to get anywhere. Carr’s attempt over the middle of the field left Chris Olave out to dry, especially risky against Xavier Woods who is no stranger to unnecessary roughness penalties. One last gasp attempt by the Saints coaches to save their jobs didn’t work, out so the Panthers will be seeing a whole new Saints staff in 2025.

Honorable mentions

Would it be a weekly game review if I didn’t mention the Panthers rookie class showing up to play? Panthers General Manager wanted some dawgs, and it sure looks like he got a whole pack of them with this years rookie class. Xavier Legette scored another touchdown, Jalen Coker had a couple more impressive catches, Demani Richardson led the team in tackles for the second straight week and Ja’Tavion Sanders had a stellar game with multiple impressive catches – including this one you should watch again:

That’s all I have for you Panthers fans! I’ll see you next week to recap the Panthers trip Munich, Germany to take on the New York Giants. Keep pounding.