The New Orleans Saints got their second win of the season over NFC South divisional rival Carolina Panthers. There were plenty of positives to come for the black and gold’s 17-7 win, but these players stood out.
Up: Tyler Shough
Whew, it’s been a while since we’ve seen quarterback play like that for the Saints. Rookie Tyler Shough was electric for New Orleans on Sunday. From big-time throws to turning nothing into something, the second-round pick was the best player on the field for both teams. Shough ended the day completing 19/27 of his passes for 282 yards and 2 touchdowns, logging a 128.9 passer rating.
Shough is now 1-1 as a starter and is the first Saints rookie quarterback to win a game since Dave Wilson in 1981. The rookie showed his ability to be a starter in the NFL, and now it’s up to consistency, but if New Orleans could continue to set the second-round pick up for success like they did on Sunday, they may have found their quarterback of the future.
Up: Chris Olave
Sunday needed to be a big game for third-year wideout Chris Olave. New Orleans just made the move to trade away Rashid Shaheed, and despite rumors, kept Olave on the roster. The former first-round pick had struggled throughout the 2025 season and had yet to eclipse 100 yards receiving in a game this season.
It didn’t take long for Olave to make his mark on the game. He connected with Shough on a 62-yard touchdown reception while beating Panthers Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn. Olave finished the day with 5 receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown on 8 targets. It has been rumoured that the Saints and Olave are in talks for a contract extension, and now, after a strong performance, it becomes more important for New Orleans to keep the former Ohio State wideout on the roster.
Down: Penalties
Despite outplaying the Panthers in all aspects of the game, the Saints continued to be on the wrong side of penalties. New Orleans was called for six penalties on the day, accounting for 60 yards. The flags called on New Orleans continue to make a significant impact, including an interception on third down on the Panthers’ opening drive being wiped away from a roughing the passer call on safety Justin Reid. The Panthers would go on to score their only points of the day on that same drive.
The Saints have brought in refs during practices to try and minimize mistakes. Despite these changes in practice, New Orleans remains top five in penalties called against in the NFL and is a big reason they are 2-8. There are plenty of things bad teams do that keep them bad, but one of the biggest is being undisciplined. The Saints were able to outplay Carolina enough to pull a win out on Sunday despite such a discrepancy in penalties called against them, but just like throughout the season, being undisciplined is a recipe for losing.
