Cat Scratch Reader
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.
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...
