The Panthers head to New Orleans at 3-5, still somehow sitting atop the NFC South after three straight losses. That’s the reality of this division right now: Carolina and the Saints are tied going into Week 10, with the Falcons and Buccaneers both a half game back. If the Panthers can steal one on the road Sunday, it could have a real say in the race for the NFC South crown.
New Orleans has been one of the league’s stranger teams this season, which gives Carolina a path if it can win a few key battles. The matchup starts on the outside, where Mike Jackson looks set to return after practicing in full all week.
His first assignment would be a tough one. Chris Olave has shaken off an injury-hit 2024 and an uneven start to 2025, and he’s been dangerous with Tyler Shough at quarterback.
Olave is sixth in the NFL in receiving yards and has already burned the Panthers before, piling up 189 yards and two touchdowns across the two meetings last season. Jackson, and whoever else is involved in covering him, will have to stay glued to him.
He’s the Saints’ big-play threat, and if Carolina can keep him quiet, it goes a long way toward slowing the whole offense.
The battle in the trenches could matter just as much. The Saints’ edge rushers are supposed to be one of the strengths of their defense, with Cameron Jordan still around, Chase Young playing well in New Orleans, and Carl Granderson adding to the rotation.
Carolina’s offensive line has had its issues all season, and the tackles in particular have been a steady problem. The Saints’ secondary hasn’t been great, but none of that matters if Bryce Young is constantly dealing with pressure off the edge.
Monroe Freeling and Rasheed Walker have to hold up if the Panthers want any chance to attack that shaky back end.
There’s also an opening inside for Carolina to press. New Orleans lost starting center Erik McCoy for the next few weeks, and the Saints are moving starting guard Cesar Ruiz to center while rookie Jeremiah Wright steps in at right guard.
Ruiz has played center before, but it’s not his natural spot, and Wright is still a fourth-round rookie with only one start under his belt. Lee Hunter flashed in limited snaps last week, and the Panthers would love to get more out of him.
If Dave Canales and Todd Wash found a way to expand his role, Carolina’s interior line has a chance to create real problems.
And then there’s the setting itself. The Superdome used to be one of the toughest places to play in the Drew Brees and Sean Payton era, but that edge has faded.
The Saints have already had two big home celebrations this season - the 20th anniversary of the Domecoming and a Drew Brees honor night - and they were beaten badly in both. They’re 1-4 at home, with their only win coming in overtime against the Shedeur Sanders-led Browns last week.
That home environment hasn’t exactly been a source of early momentum, either. The Saints have scored just 10 first-quarter points all season, which puts them last in the league in first-quarter scoring and 30th in first-half scoring.
For Carolina, the message is simple: start fast. If the Panthers can get ahead early, it not only helps their own game plan, it also piles on a Saints team that hasn’t exactly looked comfortable in its own building.
In Other News...
Panthers Have An Ickey Ekwonu Problem They Can't Ignore
Ikem Ekwonus absence has become one of the quieter but more important questions hanging over Carolinas season. The Panthers starting left tackle is still working back from the torn patellar tendon he suffered in a playoff game in January, and he has yet to play this year, leaving the team to sort through both the short-term hole on the edge and the longer-term picture at a premium position.
The bigger issue is what comes next. Carolina picked up Ekwonus fifth-year option, but the contract situation could put him on the market after this season, and a player with his pedigree is the kind of lineman other teams will monitor closely if his recovery continues to trend in the right direction. The Panthers and Ekwonu reportedly want to keep the partnership going, which makes the coming months about more than just health - they may help determine whether a foundational piece stays in Carolina or becomes one of the more intriguing names available. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Protection Problem Is About To Get Even Harder
Bryce Youngs progress this season has given the Panthers something to build around, but the protection in front of him has become a real concern. Carolinas offensive line has already had trouble holding up, and left tackle Rasheed Walker has been part of the problem as the unit has allowed too many sacks and pressures while the team has stumbled to a 3-5 record and a three-game losing streak.
The timing could hardly be worse. With a difficult stretch ahead against opponents that can get after the quarterback, the Panthers are staring at a test that could put even more strain on an offense trying to find stability. If the line cannot clean things up quickly, the pressure on Young and the rest of the offense is only going to grow. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Are Still Alive But This Stretch Will Decide Everything
Bryce Youngs latest outing showed why the Panthers still have reason to believe, even after three straight losses. He threw for 276 yards and three touchdowns in the defeat to Denver, but Carolina could not overcome the kind of self-inflicted mistakes that have made this skid so costly, with turnovers and penalties again undercutting a performance that had enough offense to keep things interesting.
Even at 3-5, the Panthers are still tied for first in the NFC South, which is why the next few weeks loom so large. Games against New Orleans, Baltimore and Tampa Bay will go a long way toward sorting out whether Carolina can turn this uneven start into something more meaningful, or whether the division race slips away before the season reaches its stretch run. [Read more 🡒]