Canal Street Chronicles
The New Orleans Saints were in Carolina to take on the Panthers in Week 10. Here’s a recap of the first matchup of the season between the divisional rivals.
The hosts got the action underway with quarterback Bryce Young finding Tetairoa McMillan with his first throw. He’d find McMillan again for 11 yards on the drive’s biggest play as the Panthers moved into Saints territory, with a pair of penalties against the defense helping matters, including a roughing the passer against Justin Reid that cancelled out an interception by Demario Davis.
From there, it was Rico Dowdle who did the rest of the damage, finishing with a 5-yard touchdown run to put Carolina up 7-0.
The Saints and quarterback Tyler Shough, making his second start as a pro, looked to find an instant response. Shough’s first throw went 52 yards to Juwan Johnson, before a 14-yard run from Devin Neal put the visitors in the red zone.
Despite finding Foster Moreau to set up 1st-and-goal, New Orleans was unable to find the red zone. Blake Grupe chipped through a short field goal to make it 7-3.
Carolina got the ball back and began the drive with a 14-yard run from Dowdle, but they would fail to find another first down and punted. The Saints then went three-and-out and punted to begin the second quarter.
Nathan Shepherd sacked Young as Carolina would go three-and-out again, and the Saints looked to stop the streak of punts.
After short runs from Alvin Kamara, Taysom Hill on 4th-and-1, and Shough himself to begin the drive, the quarterback would make the play of the day with a 62-yard dime to Chris Olave for a touchdown. Grupe’s extra point gave the Saints a 10-7 lead.
The teams then exchanged four consecutive punts, with a 26-yard catch from Kamara, an 18-yard catch by Olave, and a sack by Cam Jordan being the highlights from the Saints on those drives.
Carolina had just 21 seconds to work with before the half, with which they failed to do anything.
A holding penalty against Dillon Radunz limited the Saints’ drive to open the second half, and they quickly punted.
The Panthers finally found a groove on the ensuing drive, including a 26-yard pass from Young to McMillan. Ryan Fitzgerald had his 48-yard field goal attempt to tie the game blocked by Shepherd, but a bounce against a Panthers player and eventual muffed recovery by Cam Jordan led to a Panthers recovery. The drive would still end with no points, as Pete Werner recovered the football after Young fumbled in the red zone.
Kamara found the bulk of the yards on the Saints’ next drive before the end of the quarter.
Facing 4th-and-4 on the Panthers’ 32-yard line, Shough was sacked.
But Carolina was unable to punish the turnover, as Alontae Taylor intercepted Young just a play later.
The Saints took advantage of the short field, as Shough connected...
