CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers proved last week they could beat the best team in the NFC.
Now they'll look to maintain that momentum Sunday when they host the conference's worst in the New Orleans Saints.
The Panthers (5-4) stepped into the playoff conversation — a rarity at this point in the season for an organization that has not been to the postseason since 2017 — and turned some heads around the league with a stunning 16-13 win at Lambeau Field last Sunday against Jordan Love and the previously once-beaten Green Bay Packers.
The win gives the Panthers a much needed boost of confidence, but second-year coach Dave Canales is making sure his team takes it all in stride and is up for the next challenge against the Saints (1-8).
After the win, Canales received a text message from the team's senior coaching advisor and former NFL coach Jim Caldwell, who put the victory in perspective.
“He was like, ‘You know what that win means? You won five, you didn’t win four,’” Canales said. “So to me, it’s like that’s the next game mentality. Let’s go play the next one. We have a hungry team that we’re facing this week that has to be the focus."
Bryce Young, Rico Dowdle and a much-improved defense have been big reasons the Panthers have won four of their last five games.
Young has won four straight starts — he missed the team's lone loss during that stretch to Buffalo due to injury — and has been clutch down the stretch of tight games.
Young has engineered nine game-winning fourth quarter or overtime drives in his career with his team behind or tied, tying him with Super Bowl champions Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes, and veteran Geno Smith for the most in the NFL since 2023 when he came into the league as the No. 1 overall pick.
In those nine drives, Young completed 75.9% of his passes with a passer rating of 115.6.
Meanwhile, Dowdle has been sensational in the backfield, wrestling the starting job away from Chuba Hubbard.
Dowdle is third in the NFL in rushing despite having only started three games. He has averaged 130.4 yards rushing per game over the past six weeks. His four games of 125 yards or more on the ground are one shy of a team record set by Stephen Davis in 2003, the year the Panthers went to their first Super Bowl.
The Panthers aren't considered a Super Bowl contender by any stretch, but Canales certainly likes the direction his team is headed.
“This group, I can feel the confidence as we grow because of the understanding of what we’re doing, the speed of play, the communication and the trust,” Canales said. “Those are the things that I’m looking for to gauge (our progress).”
As for the Saints, coach Kellen Moore said that while his team hasn't gotten the results it wanted, "we’ve got some young guys who’ve gotten better through the course of this thing.”
If you're looking for a fantasy football quarterback, Young probably isn't your guy.
The third-year pro has only eclipsed 200 yards passing once this season and has just 11 touchdown passes with six interceptions. Last week, he threw for just 102 yards in the win over the Packers.
That doesn't matter to Young.
“All I care about is the team winning,” Young said with a shrug. “Again, there’s been wins, there’s been losses. As a team, that’s all I’m concerned about. And again, that’s in the past right now, concerned about going 1-0 again this week."
Saints rookie QB Tyler Shough is hoping his jaw feels normal by the time he makes his second NFL start on Sunday.
Shough took a penalized helmet-to-helmet shot from Rams edge rusher Byron Young during last Sunday’s 34-10 loss in Los Angeles. That turned out to be New Orleans’ only touchdown drive of the game. This week, Shough, who finished the game, said he couldn’t really close his jaw until Tuesday.
“I had to get some (therapeutic) needles,” Shough recounted. “That hurt."
"It was definitely a ‘welcome to the NFL moment,'” Shough added of the hit. “But I was happy to be able to get the ball back and be able to score after.”
Shough completed 15 of 24 passes for 176 yards and a TD, and also was intercepted, during his maiden start in place of season-opening starter and former South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler.
After reviewing video of the game with coaches, Shough was upbeat.
“It was encouraging just from a decision-making standpoint,” Shough said. “I wasn’t hesitant. My whole goal was to just play each play for what it is, don’t make it bigger than what it needs to be.”
New Orleans' offense will in a sense debut a new lineup after trading two starters last week.
The Saints sent deep threat receiver Rashid Shaheed to Seattle for a pair of 2026 mid-round draft picks and left guard Trevor Penning to the Los Angeles Chargers for a 2027 sixth-rounder. Shaheed had been New Orleans’ second-leading receiver this season with 44 catches for 449 yards and two touchdowns. Penning had started six games and missed three with injuries.
“It’s going to provide opportunities for some other guys and there’s certainly some excitement from that component,” Moore said.
At wide receiver, Brandin Cooks, Devaughn Vele and Mason Tipton will get more snaps, Moore said.
Dillon Radunz will step in at guard.
Jalen Coker is three games into his return from an injury, but has only four catches for 45 yards on seven targets.
Canales said the Panthers need to do a better job of getting their slot wide receiver involved in the passing game.
“I’m expecting a big game from Jalen Coker at some point coming up, you know, as he continues to show what he’s doing out there. He looked great again,” Canales said.
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AP Sports Writer Brett Martel in New Orleans contributed to this report.
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