New Orleans
Saints
1-0
48
FINAL
24
Carolina
Panthers
0-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a decisive matchup in Week 2 of the 2027 season, the New Orleans Saints topped the Carolina Panthers with a commanding 48-24 victory. This win solidifies the Saints' position early in the season, showcasing their offensive prowess and setting the tone for the weeks to come.
Quarterback Drake Maye led the charge for New Orleans, throwing for an impressive 326 yards and three touchdowns, displaying precision and poise throughout the contest. He found standout receiver Mario Craver, who racked up 128 yards, while Hollywood Smothers contributed significantly on the ground with 89 rushing yards, helping the Saints maintain a balanced offensive attack.
Defensively, the Saints were equally impressive, particularly with Brauntae Johnson's two interceptions that shifted momentum at critical moments. Although the Panthers' Will Anderson Jr. recorded two sacks, it wasn't enough to stifle the Saints’ explosive offensive rhythm. The turning point came late in the first half when Johnson's second interception set up a quick touchdown, extending the lead and putting the Panthers on their heels for the remainder of the game.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drake Maye | QB | 24 | 17 | 71% | 326 | 3 | 1 | 135.4 |
| Darian Mensah | QB | 19 | 8 | 42% | 143 | 1 | 3 | 46.4 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollywood Smothers | HB | 13 | 89 | 6.8 | 15 | 2 | 23 | 0 |
| Darian Mensah | QB | 6 | 40 | 6.7 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Jacory Croskey-Merritt | HB | 5 | 8 | 1.6 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Keaton Mitchell | HB | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Drake Maye | QB | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Craver | WR | 5 | 128 | 25.6 | 82 | 1 | 66 | 0 |
| Dawson Knox | TE | 4 | 91 | 22.8 | 19 | 0 | 39 | 0 |
| Hollywood Smothers | HB | 5 | 80 | 16.0 | 58 | 1 | 50 | 0 |
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba | WR | 6 | 77 | 12.8 | 9 | 1 | 34 | 0 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 3 | 44 | 14.7 | 6 | 1 | 22 | 0 |
| Tucker Kraft | TE | 1 | 41 | 41.0 | — | 0 | 41 | 0 |
| Rashod Bateman | WR | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brauntae Johnson | FS | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Budda Baker | SS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jack Jones | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Anderson Jr | LEDG | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trey Moore | LEDG | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Thompson | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mekhi Blackmon | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jihaad Campbell | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jacob Rodriguez | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Max Melton | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kayden McDonald | DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Starling Thomas V | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Ruke Orhorhoro | DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| JT Tuimoloau | REDG | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyler Gordon | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Christian Izien | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jahlani Tavai | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| John Franklin-Myers | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robert Spillane | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joshua Karty | K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dominic Zvada | K | 2 | 2 | 2 | 43 |

