The Carolina Panthers faced the New Orleans Saints on Dec. 10, 2023, in Week 14 of the 2023 NFL season. Here are takeaways and highlights from the game.
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Final Score: Saints 28, Panthers 6
The Saints, with Tampa Bay en route to a close win over the Falcons, needed this win to keep pace in the NFL’s weakest division. That is exactly what they would do as they cruised to the easy 28-6 win over the Panthers, continuing a very forgettable season for Carolina.
Despite a scoreless opening frame, including a missed field goal from Blake Grupe, Alvin Kamara opened the scoring not long into the second quarter on a nine-yard run. Eddy Pineiro did get the Panthers on the board midway through the second on a 47-yard field goal, but with less than five minutes left in the half, momentum fully swung New Orleans’ way.
On a punt attempt by Johnny Hekker, Nephi Sewell went straight through the middle of the Panthers’ line and blocked the punt, which allowed D’Marco Jackson to pick up the ball and walk in for the touchdown. The teams went to halftime with New Orleans up 14-3.
A Pineiro field goal was the only scoring in the third before the Saints pulled away in the final frame. A Chris Olave touchdown midway through the fourth put the Saints up 15. One minute later, Jimmy Graham caught his second touchdown in two weeks and the third in his return to New Orleans following a year off from football. The clock ran out on the 28-6 New Orleans win.
Highlights
AK always finds a way. TOUCHDOWN
📺 @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/RrOob1fmkU
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 10, 2023
There's just something about punt blocks in the Dome…
Nephi blocks it, D'Marco scoops and scores 🔥
📺 @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/KybCvkYFtQ
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 10, 2023
4 to 12 for 6 🙌
📺 @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/HLphLBA8xD
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 10, 2023
Looking Forward
In their 200th victory with Mickey Loomis as general manager, the Saints advanced to 6-7 and now sit in a three-way tie atop the NFC South. Matchups with the Giants and Rams await the Saints within the coming weeks before their season concludes with matchups against the Falcons and Buccaneers. To win the NFC South, the Saints would very possibly only have to split these four remaining games, and if last season is anything to go by, they may do so. Their chance to claim one of the Wild Card spots remains a possibility, too, should they let the division slip away.
On the flip side, this is the third season in the 28 seasons of the Panthers’ existence they have started a season 1-12. In those other seasons, they finished 1-15 (2001) and 2-14 (2010). Bryce Young struggled once again, completing just 36 percent of his passes in possibly his worst outing all year. He was sacked four times, pushing his season total to 48. At this rate, he may join David Carr in dubious company as the only rookie quarterbacks to have been sacked 60 times in their rookie seasons. Carr was sacked 76 times in 2002.
Furthermore, the Panthers’ continued losing only improves the odds of Chicago officially securing the No. 1 overall pick come next April. Carolina traded that selection to Chicago as part of the deal to draft Young first overall last spring, a move that continues to look worse by the week.
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