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The New Orleans Saints needed a game-clinching play to propel the offense as the clock ticked down and they got it in the form of a 42-yard pass from Derek Carr to Chris Olave in the third quarter.
Olave bounced the ball back to himself as he fell to the ground and kept the New Orleans drive alive. Seven plays later, Tony Jones Jr. ran the ball for a touchdown and the Saints took a 13-6 lead. Jones scored again in the fourth quarter to put the final nail in the Panthers’ coffin.
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Chris Olave #12 of the New Orleans Saints leaps and catches a 42-yard pass against CJ Henderson #23 of the Carolina Panthers during the third quarter of the game at Bank of America Stadium on September 18, 2023 in Charlotte, SC North. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
New Orleans won the game 20-17.
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While the offense finally got going in the second half with Carr’s pass to Olave and Jones finishing shots at the goal line, it was the Saints defense that left an imprint on Panthers rookie Bryce Young.
Young threw a late touchdown pass to Adam Thielen to make the Saints sweat, but New Orleans had the rookie quarterback’s number for most of the game. Young was sacked four times and lost a fumble. He was 23-for-33 with 153 passing yards.
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Derek Carr #4 of the New Orleans Saints scores against the Carolina Panthers during the second quarter of the game at Bank of America Stadium on September 18, 2023 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
Demario Davis led the scrum with seven tackles for the Saints, including a sack. Pete Werner also had seven tackles.
Carr finished 21 of 36 with 228 yards. He was intercepted and sacked four times. Olave led the team with six catches for 86 yards. Rashid Shaheed had four catches for 63 yards.
New Orleans improved to 2-0 on the season by defeating the Tennessee Titans in Week 1. Carolina fell to 0-2 after losing to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1.
Frankie Luvu #49 of the Carolina Panthers celebrates with teammates after sacking Derek Carr #4 of the New Orleans Saints during the first quarter of the game at Bank of America Stadium on September 18, 2023 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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The Saints gain a huge advantage in the division with this win, as the NFC South should be tighter than ever as the season progresses.
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