Saints vs Panthers Game Preview | 2021 NFL Week 17

The New Orleans Saints (7-8) will need to manage a quick turnaround to take on the Carolina Panthers (5-10) in their final home regular season contest of the 2021 NFL season.

Dec 29, 2021 at 09:41 AM

THE MATCHUP: PANTHERS AT SAINTS 2021 WEEK 17

The New Orleans Saints (7-8) will need to manage a quick turnaround to take on the Carolina Panthers (5-10) in their final home regular season contest of the 2021 season after dropping a 20-3 decision to the Miami Dolphins on Monday night in a valiant effort where 17 players were not available to play due to COVID-19 protocols.

The Saints will host the Panthers looking to avenge a 26-7 loss at Bank of America Stadium on September 19, leading the all-time series 27-26 and looking to avoid their first season sweep by Carolina since 2015. Prior to the September loss, New Orleans had won four consecutive contests over the Panthers.

A victory will be crucial for New Orleans who remains one game behind the 8-7 San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles and at the same spot as the 7-8 Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings in a competitive NFC playoff race for the final two spots if New Orleans wants to reach the postseason for the fifth consecutive season.

SAINTS-PANTHERS SERIES HISTORY

The Panthers initially entered the NFL as an expansion franchise in 1995 and since then, with New Orleans leading the regular season series 27-26, with the Saints picking up the 2017 NFC Wild Card showdown at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The clubs were in the NFC West from 1995- 2001 and the rivalry's continued in the NFC South since 2002. The Saints have a 13-12 record in games played in the Caesars Superdome against the Panthers. Of the 52 regular season games in the series, 25 have been decided by eight points or less, with New Orleans winning 13. The Saints' longest winning streak was a five-game stretch from 2000-02.

In the 53 regular season games of the series there has been:

1,182 points scored by New Orleans, 1,154 allowed.
A five-game New Orleans winning streak from 2000-02.
A four-game New Orleans winning streak in games played at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome from 1998-2001 and a four-game winning streak at contests played at Bank of America Stadium from 2017-20.
27 games decided by double-digits.
Seven games decided by 21 or more points.
24 games decided by eight points or less.
One 32-point win by New Orleans in the 2020 regular season finale.
A 32-point loss by New Orleans.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS-CAROLINA PANTHERS SERIES FAST FACTS

Saints' Largest Margin of Victory vs Panthers:

32 points, Saints won 42-10, 12/28/19 at Bank of America Stadium

Panthers' Largest Margin of Victory vs Saints:

32 points, Panthers won 45-13, 1/2/00 at Ericsson Stadium

Current Series Streak:

One-game winning streak for Carolina, 9/19/21-present

Saints' Longest Win Streak vs Panthers:

Five games, 10/15/00- 11/10/02

Panthers' Longest Win Streak vs Saints:

Four games (twice), 12/18/05-10/7/07 (most recent) and 12/29/02-12/5/04

Most Points by Saints in a Game vs Panthers:

45 points, Saints won 45-17, 1/1/12 at Mercedes-Benz Superdome

Most Points by Panthers in a Game vs Saints:

45 points, Panthers won 45-13, 1/2/00 at Ericsson Stadium

Most Combined Points (Both Teams):

82 points, Panthers won 44-38, 12/30/12 at Mercedes-Benz Superdome

Fewest Points by Saints in a Game vs Panthers:

Zero points, Panthers won 13-0, 10/19/97 at Superdome

Fewest Points by Panthers in a Game vs Saints:

Three points, Saints won 34-3, 11/7/10 at Bank of America Stadium

Fewest Combined Points (Both Teams):

13 points, Panthers won 13-0, 10/19/97 at Superdome

CAROLINA PANTHERS WEEK 16 RECAP

From Panthers.com

The Panthers played two quarterbacks Sunday, but had no answers for the one the Buccaneers used.

Even without most of his usual targets, Bucs quarterback Tom Brady was his typically effective self in a 32-6 win, which dropped the Panthers to 5-10 for the season.

Brady threw for 232 yards and a touchdown while completing 18 of his 30 passes.

The Panthers allowed 391 yards of total offense, the third-highest total of the season (trailing just the 571 by the Vikings and the 433 the Cowboys gained).

The Panthers started Cam Newton as promised, and he led them to a field goal drive to start the game. It might have been a touchdown, except running back Ameer Abdullah appeared to trip over left tackle Brady Christensen's foot, falling down instead of staying in a wide-open passing lane, as the third-down pass fell incomplete.

When Sam Darnold entered the game early in the second quarter, he threw a 63-yard bomb to Shi Smith, but that was mostly the extent of the passing fireworks.

Newton finished the game 7-of-13 for 61 yards and an interception with 42 yards rushing, while Darnold was 15-of-32 for 190 yards.

Snap Counts: Carolina vs. Tampa Bay in Week 16

Panthers add six to reserve/COVID-19 list

Know Your Foe: New Orleans, part two

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS WEEK 16 RECAP

With 22 players out because of Covid-19 and the team starting its fourth quarterback of the season, the New Orleans Saints offense couldn't get on track against a rugged Miami defense and the Dolphins rolled to a 20-3 victory Monday, Dec. 27 at the Caesars Superdome.

The loss ended the Saints' two-game winning streak and dropped their record to 7-8, making them 10th in the NFC standings. The win was the Dolphins' seventh consecutive as they improved to 8-7.