Carolina
Panthers
13-3
30
FINAL
23
New Orleans
Saints
14-2
AI Recap
AI RECAPThe Carolina Panthers secured a hard-fought victory over the New Orleans Saints, winning 30-23 in a critical Week 18 matchup. With playoff implications on the line, the Panthers demonstrated resilience and skill, ultimately coming out on top in a tightly contested battle.
Bryce Young shone as the star of the game, throwing for 288 yards and three touchdowns, showcasing his growth and poise under pressure. Kewan Lacy also had a notable performance for the Saints, rushing for 93 yards and adding 71 receiving yards, proving to be a dual threat throughout the contest. However, it was Young's precision that made the difference in this high-stakes showdown.
Defensively, the Panthers were led by Devin Lloyd, who recorded seven total tackles and an interception, pivotal in keeping the Saints at bay. Joey Bosa's two sacks for New Orleans added pressure but ultimately couldn't alter the outcome. The game's turning point came in the fourth quarter when Lloyd's interception halted a promising Saints drive, allowing Carolina to maintain their lead and secure the win.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce Young | QB | 32 | 18 | 56% | 288 | 3 | 1 | 104.6 |
| Taylen Green | QB | 20 | 16 | 80% | 211 | 1 | 3 | 87.7 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kewan Lacy | HB | 17 | 93 | 5.5 | 22 | 1 | 35 | 0 |
| Bryce Young | QB | 5 | 51 | 10.2 | — | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Taylen Green | QB | 7 | 42 | 6.0 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 1 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 4 | 1 | 0.3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Darren Waller | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Malik Nabers | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Coker | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Raleek Brown | HB | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kewan Lacy | HB | 6 | 71 | 11.8 | 82 | 0 | 34 | 0 |
| Chris Brazzell II | WR | 4 | 68 | 17.0 | 16 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Jalen Coker | WR | 4 | 63 | 15.8 | 14 | 1 | 28 | 0 |
| Darren Waller | TE | 4 | 61 | 15.3 | 20 | 1 | 23 | 0 |
| Malik Nabers | WR | 3 | 50 | 16.7 | 30 | 0 | 37 | 0 |
| Sam LaPorta | TE | 3 | 49 | 16.3 | 9 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 3 | 40 | 13.3 | 7 | 1 | 25 | 0 |
| Raleek Brown | HB | 2 | 29 | 14.5 | 19 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Jimmy Horn Jr | WR | 1 | 27 | 27.0 | 10 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| Puka Nacua | WR | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | — | 1 | 16 | 0 |
| Odell Beckham Jr | WR | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Dont'e Thornton Jr | WR | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devin Lloyd | MIKE | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Joey Bosa | DT | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jaelan Phillips | REDG | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Battle | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Von Miller | LEDG | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lorenzo Styles Jr. | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Zakee Wheatley | FS | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Trent McDuffie | CB | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Jayden Jackson | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yhonzae Pierre | LEDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Louis | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zabien Brown | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Koi Perich | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Andre Cisco | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Shaq Thompson | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zach Lutmer | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Khalil Mack | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lathan Ransom | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaden Elliss | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Romello Height | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devonte Wyatt | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaycee Horn | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Lee III | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fatetau Satuala | FS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucas Carneiro | K | 1 | 2 | 2 | 32 |
| Ryan Fitzgerald | K | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |

