The Carolina Panthers delivered one of their worst games of the season Sunday, falling at home to the 1–8 New Orleans Saints in an uninspired and mistake-filled performance.
Bryce Young struggled throughout, committing two turnovers and missing several open receivers. Miscommunication and poor protection plagued the offense from start to finish. Rico Dowdle scored Carolina’s only touchdown but managed just 53 rushing yards on 18 carries. Despite the off day, Dowdle remains the NFC’s leading rusher with 788 yards and five touchdowns.
Rookie Tetairoa McMillan continued to impress, catching five passes for 60 yards to surpass 600 receiving yards on the season — becoming only the fifth Panthers rookie ever to hit that mark. He now ranks second among NFL rookies in total yardage.
Rapid Reactions: Saints slow run game, Panthers fall at homehttps://t.co/80rMmhu5em
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 9, 2025
Defensively, Nic Scourton added another sack, giving him three on the year — tying for the team lead and joining Brian Burns and Thomas Keiser as the only rookie linebackers in franchise history with at least three sacks. Derrick Brown posted a season-high nine tackles, moving past Kawann Short for fourth-most tackles all-time by a Panthers defensive lineman.
However, those bright spots couldn’t hide the breakdowns. The Saints converted crucial third downs, while Jaycee Horn slipped twice on long touchdowns that proved costly.
Carolina was flagged just once for five yards, tying the third-fewest penalty yards in franchise history — a rare positive in an otherwise disastrous afternoon.
The Panthers, now reeling after a lackluster showing, will look to regroup next week against the Atlanta Falcons as their season continues to slip away.
