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In a Monday Night Football doubleheader, the New Orleans Saints spoiled Bryce Young’s home opener and defeated the Carolina Panthers, 20-17.
The Saints advance to 2-0 on the season while Carolina drops to 0-2.
The Game
The game started slow, with the Saints leading 6-3 at halftime. Both teams turned the ball over with Vonn Bell intercepting Derek Carr and Bryce Young fumbling on consecutive drives.
Tony Jones Jr. scored first with a two-yard rushing touchdown. This was the first touchdown of his career. The score put New Orleans up 13-6 with 2:56 left in the third quarter.
https://twitter.com/Saints/status/1703944296338964719?s=20
The Panthers didn’t get the ball into the endzone until there was 1:21 left in the game, when Bryce Young passed to Adam Thielen for a three-yard score, in which they successfully went for two. They went on to attempt an onside kick, unsuccessfully.
Player Performances
The Saints were led by Derek Carr, who passed for 228 yards, one interception and a 58.3% completion percentage. Although he didn’t have any touchdown passes, running back Tony Jones Jr. scored two touchdowns on 12 carries. Backup quarterback Taysom Hill also found his way into the game with 9 carries for 75 yards.
The star of the show for New Orleans was Chris Olave, who caught six passes on 11 targets for 86 yards, including a phenomenal one-handed catch.
CHRIS OLAVE JUST NEEDED ONE ✋#SCtop10 pic.twitter.com/0l4ISAT6Ve
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 19, 2023
Bryce Young led the Panthers with 153 yards through the air, one touchdown and a 66.7% completion percentage. Adam Thielen, who scored their lone touchdown pass, hauled in seven receptions on nine targets for 54 yards and the score.
The defenses sacked both quarterbacks four times.
What’s Next?
Both teams are on the road next week.
The Saints travel to Green Bay to face Jordan Love and the Packers, while Carolina travels to Seattle to face the Seahawks.
The NFC South is currently a tight race at the top with three teams tied for first. The Buccaneers, Falcons and Saints all are 2-0 with Carolina in the backseat.
