The Panthers opened Sunday’s game against the Saints with a touchdown drive, but the rest of the half went a lot better for the Saints.
They forced four straight punts and their offense turned a couple of big plays through the air into a 10-7 halftime lead.
Quarterback Tyler Shough evaded pass rushers to find tight end Juwan Johnson for a 52-yard gain on a third down in the first quarter and the Saints would cap that drive with a Blake Grupe field goal. The two teams traded punts over the next three possessions and Shough put his team in the lead by hitting wide receiver Chris Olave with a 62-yard strike down the sideline.
Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn had close coverage on Olave on the play, but he stumbled and fell with the pass in the air to leave Olave with an easy trot into the end zone. Olave has three catches for 85 yards and Shough is 11-of-18 for 194 yards.
Rico Dowdle capped the Panthers’ first drive with his sixth touchdown of the season, but he’s been limited to 48 yards on 13 touches. Quarterback Bryce Young is 8-of-13 for 54 yards and he’s been sacked twice through 30 minutes of play.
