Saints Snap Skid Behind Tyler Shough’s Breakout Game, Beat Panthers 17–7

Saints Snap Skid Behind Tyler Shough’s Breakout Game, Beat Panthers 17–7

The New Orleans Saints finally stopped their slide Sunday afternoon, grinding out a 17–7 win over the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte. Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough delivered his first career victory, throwing for 282 yards and two touchdowns as the Saints’ defense dominated from start to finish.

Carolina jumped ahead early when running back Rico Dowdle capped a 67-yard drive with a short touchdown run, but the Saints quickly answered. Shough settled in and hit Chris Olave on a 62-yard strike late in the second quarter to give New Orleans the lead for good. Olave finished with 117 receiving yards, and Alvin Kamara added 83 yards on the ground to help the Saints control the clock.

The defense handled the rest. New Orleans held Bryce Young and the Panthers to just 175 total yards, forcing an interception and four punts. Cornerback Alontae Taylor’s fourth-quarter pick set up another Shough touchdown, this time a 30-yard throw to tight end Juwan Johnson that effectively sealed the win. Carolina’s offense couldn’t find rhythm the rest of the way, managing only seven points despite solid field position early on.

For a Saints team that entered the game 1–8 and desperate for signs of life, this one mattered. Shough looked poised, the defense played with confidence, and New Orleans finally resembled a team with something to build on. The Panthers, now 5–5, walked off the field frustrated after one of their least efficient outings of the season, while the Saints left Charlotte feeling, for the first time in weeks, that a turnaround might be possible.