New Orleans
Saints
9-7
20
FINAL
28
Carolina
Panthers
6-10
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a crucial Week 16 matchup, the Carolina Panthers topped the New Orleans Saints with a final score of 28-20, solidifying their playoff aspirations as the regular season winds down. With both teams gunning for a better postseason position, this victory was pivotal for Carolina's momentum heading into the final week.
Quarterback Tyler Shough led the charge for the Panthers, throwing for 298 yards and two touchdowns, showcasing both precision and poise in the pocket. His favorite target, Devin Culp, delivered a standout performance with 113 receiving yards, making several key catches that kept the Saints' defense on their heels. Meanwhile, Bucky Irving contributed on the ground with 40 rushing yards, helping to maintain a balanced offensive attack.
Defensively, Carolina made its mark with a strong performance, highlighted by Princely Umanmielen's six total tackles and Jaycee Horn's crucial interception that shifted the momentum in the second half. The turning point came late in the third quarter when Horn's pick set up a touchdown drive, allowing the Panthers to extend their lead and ultimately secure the win. With this victory, Carolina demonstrated that they can perform under pressure as they head toward the playoffs.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | YDS | TD | INT | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Shough | QB | 43 | 26 | 298 | 2 | 0 | 96.8 |
| Drew Allar | QB | 31 | 18 | 252 | 2 | 0 | 105.8 |
| Devin Culp | TE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bucky Irving | HB | 9 | 40 | 4.4 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 13 | 40 | 3.1 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| Damon Ferguson | HB | 6 | 24 | 4.0 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 4 | 20 | 5.0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Drew Allar | QB | 5 | 16 | 3.2 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Jake Ferguson | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Calvin Russell | WR | 1 | -3 | -3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devin Culp | TE | 11 | 113 | 10.3 | 2 | 24 | 0 |
| Xavier Legette | WR | 7 | 111 | 15.9 | 1 | 30 | 0 |
| Duce Robinson | WR | 6 | 85 | 14.2 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 2 | 48 | 24.0 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| Jalen Coker | WR | 4 | 46 | 11.5 | 1 | 17 | 0 |
| Malachi Toney | WR | 4 | 44 | 11.0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Bucky Irving | HB | 3 | 38 | 12.7 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| Jake Ferguson | TE | 3 | 25 | 8.3 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 2 | 22 | 11.0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Calvin Russell | WR | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Ethan Davis | TE | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaycee Horn | CB | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Zane Durant | DT | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Princely Umanmielen | SAM | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Ellis Robinson IV | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derwin James Jr | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Isaiah Stalbird | MIKE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tre'von Moehrig | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Benjamin Morrison | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chase Young | LEDGE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Danny Stutsman | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Korie Black | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Julian Blackmon | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nic Scourton | LEDGE | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zequan Patterson | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Terry Moore | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Shakai Woods | DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aaron Chiles | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lavar Arrington II | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Decamerion Richardson | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Jaquan Brisker | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jared Bartlett | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Brown | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Leonard Williams | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kayvon Thibodeaux | REDGE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Talanoa Hufanga | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kaiir Elam | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Troy Bowles | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andre Szmyt | K | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Tyler Loop | K | 2 | 2 | 2 | 41 |

