By David Rogers. CHARLOTTE, N.C. — What started out as a trading field goals slugfest morphed into a battle of TD survival on Sept. 18 at Bank of America Stadium. Visiting New Orleans outlasted Carolina, 20-17. the two NFC South rivals moving in opposite directions. The Saints improve to 2-0, the Panthers fall to 0-2.
It was a costly loss for the Panthers, who lost linebacker Shaq Thompson to what head coach Frank Reich termed a “significant” ankle injury. Unofficially, it was severe enough that many are thinking that Thompson will be out indefinitely, if not for the rest of the 2023 season.
Placekicker Eddie Piniero kept the Panthers in the mix with a 52-yard field goal to open the game, midway through the first quarter, and added a 54-yarder early in the third quarter to tie the game at 6-6.
The Saints then put together a 10-play, 75 yard possession that ended up with reserve running back Tony Jones, Jr. slicing into the end zone from two yards out.
Carolina could not do much in response, having to settle for another field goal by Pineiro, from 36 yards.
New Orleans managed another long drive, 6 plays for 79 yards, ending with another 2-yard plunge by Jones, Jr. for another TD.
While the Saints seemed to put the game away with just over three minutes remaining, Carolina made it interesting with an 11-play, 75 yard TD drive ending with a Bryce Young to Adam Thielen TD pass and a successful Young-to-Thielen pass for a 2-point conversion that put the Panthers within a field goal of tying the game. Such an opportunity went away, however, when Carolina’s onside kick attempt was smothered by New Orleans to all but ice the game with barely a minute remaining.
If there were meaningful highlights for Carolina, it was on the defensive side of the ball, with the Panthers applying constant pressure on New Orleans QB Derek Carr. Defensive lineman Frankie Luvu recorded a pair of sacks while defensive back Vonn Bell poached an interception to stop a Big Easy drive late in the first half.
The 2023 NFL Draft’s first selection, rookie QB Bryce Young, directed an uneven Carolina offense, earning only 239 yards of offense and only 14 first downs. The aforementioned TD, their first, didn’t come until there was barely a minute left in the game. Young’s stat line for evening’s work was completing 22-of-33 pass attempts, for just 153 yards through the air. He ran twice for 34 yards.
Carolina moves ahead hoping to rebound on Sept. 24 at the Seattle Seahawks before returning home to host the Minnesota Vikings’ (0-2) high octane offense on Oct. 1. Things don’t get any easier with consecutive road trips to the Detroit Lions (1-1) on Oct. 8, then south to the Miami Dolphins (2-0)on Oct. 15.
