New Orleans Saints 20-23 Carolina Panthers
Friday 18 November 2016 07:30, UK
The Carolina Panthers had to pay for their 23-20 victory over the New Orleans Saints, losing three key players to injury. Luke Kuechly, Ryan Kalil and Mario Addison all left the game early, and will need to be assessed before a judgement on their return can be made.
In 140 Characters...
Injuries take the shine off important win for Panthers, losing Kuechly, Addison and Kalil. Newton's 40-yard TD pass enough to hold off Saints.
MVP
Luke Kuechly proved how important he is to the Carolina defence with 14 tackles and an 88-yard defensive touchdown, that was eventually chalked off because of a penalty.
The former NFL defensive Player of the Year was carted off to be assessed for concussion, and Panthers fans will be hoping the talismanic linebacker won't be sidelined for long.
Game-changer
With time expiring in the first half, Wil Lutz stepped up to slot a 38-yard field goal which would have reduced Carolina's lead to 13-6. However, Vernon Butler made the stop and Kuechly scooped up the ball, driving downfield and into the end zone.
Though his score didn't count, the run set up great field position for quarterback Cam Newton, who found Ted Ginn at the back of the end zone to give the Panthers a 20-3 half-time cushion.
Stat of the night
285 - Brees was held to 285 yards, a far cry from his 465 when he led New Orleans to a 41-38 victory over the Panthers in week six.
The game
The Panthers had the best early chance with just two minutes gone as Mario Addison sacked Drew Brees, forcing a fumble which Addison recovered at the 32-yard line. Carolina took over but good defence from the Saints, which included a sack on quarterback Newton with the Panthers at the one-yard line, restricted the home side to a 32-yard field goal.
New Orleans responded with a field goal of their own, and it wasn't until the middle of the second quarter that the Panthers grabbed the first touchdown of the night. Kurt Coleman intercepted Brees, and Carolina took advantage as running back Jonathan Stewart dived over his offensive line into the end zone to complete the 34-yard, eight-play drive.
Graham Gano added a 49-yard field goal to extend Carolina's advantage to 13-3, before the Saints had a field goal of their own blocked and then recovered by Kuechly who ran the ball back 88 yards. He was denied a touchdown after James Bradberry performed an illegal block, but a play later Newton found Ted Ginn for a 40-yard touchdown with less than 30 seconds to go in the half.
The teams exchanged field goals before the Saints began to mount their comeback at the start of the fourth quarter. Tim Hightower ran back-to-back plays for a combined 38-yards, before Brees found Brandon Coleman on a nine-yard pass - the wide receiver stretching over Robert McClain and cutting Carolina's lead to 10.
New Orleans added another touchdown with three minutes to play as Brees threw between two defenders to find Coby Fleener in the end zone from eight yards.
However, it wasn't enough as the Panthers held on to claim their fourth win of the season, moving both teams to a 4-6 record. The NFC South now has three teams on four wins, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers playing the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
Though neither team is in line for a wild card play-off spot, winning the division is not beyond the realms of possibility. The Atlanta Falcons hold a two-game advantage, but the Saints and Panthers will play Atlanta once more before the season is out.
Carolina face a tricky run to finish the year, but an important divisional win at least keeps them in the conversation. Losing Kuechly in the fourth quarter, as well as Addison (foot) and Ryan Kalil (shoulder) earlier in the game could prove costly if the three are forced to miss an extended period of time. Last season's Super Bowl run largely avoided any critical injuries, but it appears that if they are to make this year's post-season, they will have to do it the hard way.
The Saints also lost Mark Ingram to concussion, but will hope to have him back by their week 12 meeting with the Los Angeles Rams. It caps a disappointing two games for New Orleans, who could as easily be sitting at 6-4 but now face an uphill battle to make it into January's play-offs.
