10 quick thoughts from the Panthers win at Saints in Week 18
By Dean Jones
What were some quick thoughts to take from the Carolina Panthers’ late win at the New Orleans Saints in their Week 18 regular-season finale?
For the final time this season, the Carolina Panthers took the field for a divisional clash with the New Orleans Saints. Although there was nothing on the line other than NFC South pride, interim head coach Steve Wilks was keen to keep everyone focused in pursuit of ending their campaign on a positive note.
Wilks faces a nervous wait to see if team owner David Tepper thinks enough of Carolina’s recent progress to extend his stay beyond 2022. Support remains strong within the locker room and winning at The Caesars Superdome would be another huge feather in his cap ahead of this critical upcoming decision for the franchise.
The Saints are on a three-game stretch of positive results that’s eased the pressure slightly on head coach Dennis Allen. As it turned out, a torrid game saw Carolina end on a high with their seventh victory of the campaign thanks to a walk-off field goal to sweep New Orleans for the first time in seven years.
With this in mind, here are ten quick thoughts from Carolina’s win versus New Orleans in Week 18.
Quick Thought No. 1
Carolina Panthers were bitten by the injury bug
One of the most disappointing elements to emerge from the contest was injuries suffered by Marquis Haynes, Austin Corbett, and Brady Christensen. Not exactly ideal, but they at least have a significant period of recuperation time before the Carolina Panthers meet up for voluntary OTAs once again.
Christensen’s complication, in particular, looked very concerning. He turned his ankle and needed to be helped off the field following a Chuba Hubbard run, which brought an end to the BYU product’s streak of playing every snap on offense this season.