How to Watch Panthers vs. Saints

• Game Day: Sunday, September 19, 2021
• Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
• TV: FOX
• Stadium: Bank of America Stadium
• Live Stream: fuboTV – (Start Your Free Trial)

New Orleans and Carolina Stats

• The Saints racked up 30.1 points per game last year, 5.0 more than the Panthers surrendered per matchup (25.1).
• The Saints collected only 16.3 more yards per game (376.4) than the Panthers gave up per contest (360.1) last season.
• Last season the Saints had 17 turnovers, five fewer than the Panthers had takeaways (22).
• The Panthers scored 21.9 points per game last season, comparable to the 21.1 the Saints gave up.
• The Panthers racked up 38.6 more yards per game (349.5) than the Saints gave up per contest (310.9) last year.
• The Panthers had 21 giveaways last season, while the Saints had 26 takeaways.

Saints Impact Players

• Last season Taysom Hill racked up 928 passing yards (58.0 per game) while going 88-for-121 (72.7%) and throwing for four touchdowns with two interceptions. He tacked on 457 rushing yards (a team high) on 87 carries with eight touchdowns, averaging 28.6 yards per game.
• Alvin Kamara rushed for 932 yards on 187 carries (62.1 yards per game) and scored 16 touchdowns a season ago. He also averaged 50.4 receiving yards per game, grabbing 83 passes for a team-high 756 yards and five TDs.
• Last season, Cameron Jordan collected 7.5 sacks, 11.0 TFL and 51 tackles.
• In last year’s campaign, Demario Davis racked up 119 tackles, 10.0 TFL, and four sacks.
• Jeff Heath picked off three passes and tacked on 34 tackles, 1.0 TFL, and four passes defended last season.

Panthers Impact Players

• Sam Darnold collected 2,208 passing yards (138.0 yards per game) with a 59.6% completion percentage last year (217-of-364), while throwing nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also added 217 rushing yards on 37 carries with two touchdowns, averaging 13.6 yards per game.
• Christian McCaffrey rushed for 225 yards on 59 carries (22.5 yards per game) while scoring five touchdowns a season ago.
• Last season D.J. Moore was targeted 118 times and had 66 catches for 1,193 yards (79.5 ypg) while scoring four touchdowns.
• Haason Reddick showed out with an impressive stat line of 12.5 sacks, 15.0 TFL and 62 tackles.
• Jeremy Chinn racked up 116 tackles, 2.0 TFL, one sack, and one interception over his 2020 campaign.
• Donte Jackson picked off three passes while adding 34 tackles, 1.0 TFL, and 11 passes defended a season ago.

Saints vs. Panthers AP Preview:

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Bryce Young’s longest pass completion in Week 1 went for 14 yards.

Panthers coach Frank Reich knows that needs to change Monday night when Carolina hosts the division-rival New Orleans Saints.

Young, the No. 1 overall pick, was limited to 146 yards passing in a 24-10 loss to Atlanta and threw two interceptions and one touchdown in his pro debut.

The lack of what Reich deems “chunk plays” in the passing game — considered gains of 20 or more yards — contributed to those poor numbers, as the Falcons repeatedly keyed on short throws over the middle while daring Young to beat them deep.

” We need more explosive plays,” Reich said. “That’s not going to be acceptable, so we’ll have to do a much better job there.”

That won’t be easy Monday night, even with deep threat DJ Chark (hamstring) expected to make his season debut for Carolina in Week 2.

The Saints are coming off a hard-fought 16-15 win over the Tennessee Titans that was every bit as much of a struggle as the score suggests.

New Orleans allowed three chunk plays — one of those a 46-yard completion to running back Derrick Henry — but held the Titans out of the end zone. They also intercepted Ryan Tannehill three times.

Despite Young’s lack of production in Week 1, Saints linebacker Pete Werner saw enough of the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner at the college level to know he’s only going to get better.

“This is a team that you need to be on point, especially with a quarterback like this and how he’s got that big-play ability,” Werner said.

Added Saints coach Dennis Allen of Young: “One of the best things he did (at Alabama) was his ability to create in terms of off-rhythm or off-timing throws, be able to escape the pocket, be able to climb and escape. … For lack of a better term, some of the playground football that he’s able to create on the field was one of his best assets.”

While the Panthers couldn’t seem to get any big pass plays last Sunday, the Saints had no problem moving the football.

Derek Carr threw for 305 yards in his Saints debut and had five completions of 20 yards or more, including two for 40-plus yards.

NOT DOUBTING THOMAS

After two-time All-Pro Michael Thomas went out for most of last season with a foot injury, Chris Olave emerged as New Orleans’ leading receiver.

In Week 1, with Thomas back in the lineup, Olave was again the Saints’ most productive pass catcher with eight receptions for 112 yards. Thomas, still working his way back into form, was Carr’s second-most targeted receiver with eight passes intended for him. He caught five for 61 yards, including a 25-yarder.

This week, Olave surmised that the influence of Thomas’ return on the Saints’ passing game goes beyond the injury-plagued veteran’s statistics in his first game back.

“Every day he goes out there, he just looks better and better,” Olave said. “His presence and his competitive nature, I feel like it uplifts the whole offense.”

The Saints will face a Panthers secondary without top cornerback Jaycee Horn.

“They have multiple weapons on offense,” Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson said.

BURNS READY TO ROLL

The Panthers waited most of last week to hear if star pass rusher Brian Burns would play amid a stalled contract renegotiation. The two-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker wound up playing against the Falcons and quickly proved why he’s so valuable with 1 1/2 sacks, a forced fumble and another tackle for a loss on third down.

Burns, who will play against the Saints, said earlier this offseason he wants to have 10 sacks by the 10th game.

LOST EDGE

The Saints this week put defensive end Payton Turner, a 2021 first-round draft choice, on injured reserve because of a turf toe injury in Week 1 that will require surgery and could sideline him for two to three months.

The transaction could mean more playing time for last spring’s second-round draft choice, Isaiah Foskey from Notre Dame. He was a healthy scratch last week.

ON GUARD

The Panthers love to run the ball between the tackles, but they’ll be without starting guards Austin Corbett and Brady Christensen, who are both on injured reserve.

Rookie Chandler Zavala and Cade Mays, who have started a combined three games in the NFL, are expected to start at the guard spots. Don’t be surprised if the Saints run a number of stunts at the Panthers designed to confuse the young linemen.