Carolina
Panthers
0-0
31
FINAL
7
New Orleans
Saints
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a commanding display to open the 2027 season, the Carolina Panthers topped the New Orleans Saints 31-7. With both teams eager to establish momentum early in the year, the Panthers capitalized on their opportunities, showcasing a well-rounded performance on both sides of the ball.
Leading the charge for Carolina was quarterback Bryce Young, who threw for 187 yards and a touchdown, while Chuba Hubbard dominated on the ground with 103 rushing yards. Young's efficient play helped the Panthers maintain control, while the offensive unit consistently found ways to move the chains and put points on the board.
Defensively, the Panthers were relentless, highlighted by Nic Scourton's two sacks and Devin Lloyd's crucial interception that shifted the momentum in Carolina's favor. The turning point came early in the second half when Scourton's sack led to a fumble recovery, setting up a quick touchdown that extended the Panthers' lead to 24-7. This defensive prowess stifled any hopes of a Saints comeback, allowing Carolina to cruise to victory.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce Young | QB | 37 | 20 | 54% | 187 | 1 | 0 | 77.1 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 32 | 18 | 56% | 185 | 1 | 1 | 70.4 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 23 | 103 | 4.5 | 15 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 15 | 66 | 4.4 | 11 | 0 | 17 | 1 |
| Jonathon Brooks | HB | 8 | 34 | 4.3 | 17 | 1 | 19 | 0 |
| Trevor Etienne | HB | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Kendre Miller | HB | 3 | 6 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Bryce Young | QB | 2 | 4 | 2.0 | — | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Ja'Tavion Sanders | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 7 | 78 | 11.1 | 20 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 6 | 63 | 10.5 | 12 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Bryce Lance | WR | 4 | 58 | 14.5 | 3 | 1 | 25 | 0 |
| Jalen Coker | WR | 4 | 54 | 13.5 | 9 | 0 | 24 | 1 |
| Chris Brazzell II | WR | 4 | 42 | 10.5 | 15 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| Oscar Delp | TE | 3 | 25 | 8.3 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 3 | 20 | 6.7 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 3 | 19 | 6.3 | 17 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Ja'Tavion Sanders | TE | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| Devaughn Vele | WR | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Khari Blasingame | FB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devin Lloyd | MIKE | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mohamoud Diabate | SAM | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lorenzo Styles Jr. | SS | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nic Scourton | LEDG | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trevin Wallace | WILL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Danny Stutsman | MIKE | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jack Jones | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nathan Sherman | WILL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Brown | DT | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Brandon Wade | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Bryan Bresee | DT | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Phillip Hurst | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Chase Young | LEDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah Rodgers Sr | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| J.D. Barber | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaycee Horn | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Matt Callaway | DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaden Elliss | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Parker | LEDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tre'von Moehrig | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaelan Phillips | REDG | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christen Miller | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Corey Thornton | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chau Smith-Wade | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quincy Riley | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Smyth | K | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Ryan Fitzgerald | K | 3 | 3 | 2 | 55 |

