The Carolina Panthers are set to face the New Orleans Saints at home in Week 10, marking their second divisional matchup of the season. The Panthers, who recently secured a 16-13 win over the Green Bay Packers, now hold a 5-4 record and are above .500 this late in the season for the first time since 2019. The Saints enter Sunday’s game with a 1-8 record after a significant 34-10 defeat by the Los Angeles Rams.
Historically, Carolina has played New Orleans 61 times, with the Panthers trailing in the all-time series 29-32. At home, Carolina holds an even split of 15 wins and 15 losses against the Saints.
Chase Young has been a standout on defense for New Orleans since returning from a calf injury that sidelined him for the first five games of the season. In his four games back, Young has recorded three sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, six quarterback hurries, and three batted passes.
At quarterback, rookie Tyler Shough started his first NFL game last Sunday after Spencer Rattler was benched following a string of poor performances. Shough completed 15 out of 24 passes for 176 yards, threw one interception and scored his first career touchdown but was sacked three times over his last two appearances. Since Drew Brees retired in 2020, Shough is now the ninth different starting quarterback for New Orleans.
Shough’s main targets have been Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. Olave leads with 55 catches for 560 yards and three touchdowns this season; Shaheed follows closely with 44 receptions totaling 499 yards and two touchdowns. The Saints’ offense will be impacted by injuries to right tackle Taliese Fuaga and tight end Jack Still—both suffered high ankle sprains during their recent game.
Kellen Moore is serving his first year as head coach of the Saints after winning a Super Bowl as offensive coordinator with Philadelphia last season. Under Moore’s leadership during this rebuilding period, New Orleans ranks last in average time of possession at just over 26 minutes per game. Their running game has struggled as well—the team has failed to reach more than 100 rushing yards in each of its last five contests and currently averages only about 89.6 rushing yards per game.
Turnovers have also been an issue: The offense’s touchdown-to-interception ratio (9 touchdowns to eight interceptions) is among the league’s worst. On defense, however, New Orleans is tied for third-most fumble recoveries in the NFL with six and has accumulated ten takeaways overall (including four interceptions).
As both teams prepare for Sunday’s divisional contest at Bank of America Stadium, each side faces its own set of challenges—Carolina seeks to maintain momentum while New Orleans continues adjusting under new leadership amid ongoing roster changes.
