The New Orleans Saints traveled to Charlotte, N.C., to face the Carolina Panthers in a divisional rematch of Week 11 in the final game of the 2019 regular season and owned the Panthers from the very beginning of the game with a 32-point blowout in the first half. The Saints came into this game 12-3 on the season and playing for a higher seed in the playoffs while the Panthers entered amidst a seven-game losing streak and a disappointing 5-10 record on the season.
New Orleans started the game with possession of the ball and put up the first points in their opening drive when Alvin Kamara rushed the ball for a 15-yard touchdown. Carolina was unable to convert their opening drive into any points and the New Orleans defensive line forced the Panthers to go three and out for their first several drives. Carolina did hold the Saints to a three-and-out in their second possession, but the Saints scored in their next drive after Kamara rushed the ball one yard to put another touchdown on the board. The Saints led 14-0 and kept the lead going into the second quarter.
The Saints also started the second quarter with possession of the ball and were unable to convert this opening drive into any points and Carolina didn’t take advantage of this in their opening drive due to Will Grier fumbling the ball and Malcom Brown recovering it for the Saints.
New Orleans didn’t capitalize on the turnover and went three-and-out in the next drive, but answered in the following Carolina possession when Grier threw the ball directly into the hands of former Carolina Panther, A.J. Klein, who took it 14 yards for his first career touchdown, giving the Saints the 21-point lead. Will Grier was injured in this drive, putting Kyle Allen back in as the Panthers’ quarterback for the rest of the game.
The Saints scored again in their next drive when Drew Brees connected with Tre’Quan Smith for a one-yard touchdown and again in the following possession when Brees threw a 21-yard deep pass to Jared Cook for the fifth touchdown of the first half. The score was 35-0 and Carolina avoided a complete shutout in the first half by putting up three points in their next possession as Joey Slye connected on a 23-yard field goal. The Saints led 35-3 going into halftime and broke the franchise record for largest halftime lead.
Carolina started the second half of the game with possession of the ball and gained 15 yards on the first drive due to a New Orleans penalty. Christian McCaffrey kept the drive alive for the next two plays, but the Saints’ defensive line kept the Panthers from putting up any points. The Saints also went scoreless in their first drive of the third quarter. Drew Brees and Hill connected for a 45-yard touchdown in New Orleans’ next possession and widened the gap in the score, 42-3, with just over four minutes left in the third quarter.
In the next Carolina possession, McCaffrey reached 1,000 receiving yards on the fourth play of the drive when Allen connected with him for exactly the 17 yards necessary to reach 1,000 yards. McCaffrey became the third player in NFL history to have a 1,000-1,000 season, recording over 1,000 rushing and receiving yards. McCaffrey also put another touchdown on the board for Carolina in this drive after he rushed the ball from one yard out with 30 seconds on the clock. He was greeted with a standing ovation by the crowd and all of his teammates on the sideline following the historical drive.
Christian McCaffrey just became the 3rd player ever to post a 1,000-1,000 season pic.twitter.com/EtlBW1xcG1
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) December 29, 2019
The McCaffrey squad watching CMC join the 1,000-1,000 Club 👏#KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/uI9TONlIm3
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) December 29, 2019
The Saints held on to the 42-10 lead going into the last quarter of the game as well as possession of the ball. Teddy Bridgewater, the backup quarterback for New Orleans, came into the game during the opening drive, but the Saints were unable to convert six plays into a score. The Panthers also couldn’t convert their seven-play opening drive into any points. Both teams exchanged downs for the rest of the game as the time came off of the clock, and the game ended with Janoris Jenkins intercepting a pass from Kyle Allen at the Carolina goal line, giving possession back to the Saints to run out the clock and take their 13th victory of the 2019 season.
The Saints’ playoff position was determined upon by the outcome of the San Francisco versus Seattle Sunday Night Football game; the Saints will host the Minnesota Vikings in their first playoff game on Jan. 5.
Next stop: Postseason. #SAINTS
Oh, and Happy Birthday Coach ‼️ pic.twitter.com/qDEkuZHkWY
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 29, 2019
Thank you for everything!#KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/VbXLRw3DJc
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) December 29, 2019
