The New Orleans Saints will visit the Carolina Panthers in Week 3, while hosting their division rival in Week 18. In 2021, New Orleans and Carolina split the season series with each team winning its home games. The Panthers struggled for the rest of the season, though, and they ultimately finished 5-12, earning them last place in the division.
Let's take a deeper look at the Saints' Week 3 and Week 18 opponent, the Carolina Panthers:
Meet Your Saints Opponent: Carolina Panthers
Coach: Matt Rhule
Quarterback: Sam Darnold / Baker Mayfield
2021 record: 5-12, fourth in NFC South
Most recent regular season matchup: Sunday, Jan 2, 2022 - Saints 18, Panthers 10
Panthers-Saints series record: Saints lead 29-26-0
2021 season recap:
The Panthers finished with five wins for the third year in a row in 2021, placing them at the bottom of the NFC South. After adding Sam Darnold last season, the Panthers may be sending a signal that they're ready for a change by drafting Matt Corral in the 2022 NFL Draft as well as trading for Baker Mayfield later in the offseason. As of now, the belief is that Darnold and Mayfield will compete to see who will start, but Corral will be waiting in the wings.
Notable Panthers roster additions:
- Quarterback – Matt Corral (NFL Draft)
- Punter - Johnny Hekker (Los Angeles Rams)
- Quarterback - Baker Mayfield (Cleveland Browns)
Notable Panthers roster losses:
- Cornerback - Stephon Gilmore (Indianapolis Colts)
- Linebacker - Hasaan Reddick (Philadelphia Eagles)
- Defensive tackle - DaQuan Jones (Buffalo Bills)
