Canal Street Chronicles
The NFC South rivalry continues late in the season for the Saints and Panthers.
The New Orleans Saints will face the Carolina Panthers, their NFC South divisional rivals, in a matchup between weeks 10 and 15.
The Saints will first travel to Carolina for their Week 10 matchup before hosting the Panthers at home for Week 15.
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young struggled during his rookie season and was benched for Andy Dalton in 2024. Despite being benched, Young came back better than ever throwing 7 touchdowns over his final three games and no turnovers.
Carolina used the 8th overall draft selection to continue Young’s growth by drafting Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. The 6-foot-4 receiver brought in 1,319 yards during his senior season adding 8 receiving touchdowns.
Outside McMillan, the Panthers have been focused on adding to their defense. Carolina had the worst-ranked defense in 2024 and emphasized getting better on that side of the ball. They added defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton and safety Tre’von Moehrig through free agency to three-year deals while extending cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Michael Jackson.
The Saints and Panthers traded games during the 2024 season with New Orleans winning their Week 1 matchup but losing in Week 9 leading to the firing of head coach Dennis Allen. Both matchups in 2024 were drastically different as the Saints dominated the Panthers 47-10 to start the season but lost in a close 23-22 Week 9 matchup.
New Orleans has focused on improving their offense throughout the offseason with an emphasis on allowing head coach Kellen Moore to bring in guys that fit his scheme. The Saints used their high second-round pick on quarterback Tyler Shough after Derek Carr retired, setting the NFC South up with multiple young signal-callers.
The Saints and Panthers 2025 matchups are sure to be good ones with the two young teams boasting young quarterbacks. While each team has aimed to make life easier for their young signal callers, their new bolstered-up defenses aim to disrupt their development.
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