The Carolina Panthers will have to deal with prosperity as they get ready to play Sunday afternoon.
The Panthers have a winning record this late in a season for the first time since 2019, and they’ll be significant favorites against the New Orleans Saints in Charlotte, N.C.
“All I care about is the team winning,” Carolina quarterback Bryce Young said. “That’s all I’m concerned about.”
The Panthers (5-4) have been doing some of that, with more evidence coming in last week’s 16-13 upset at Green Bay.
“There’s good, there’s bad,” said Young, who has thrown for 11 touchdowns with six interceptions this season. “There’s things to grow from. … There’s never a lack of confidence. We all trust each other.”
Young had six career wins as a starter entering the season, something the team could match this week. Panthers coach Dave Canales said Young’s ability to produce in clutch situations has been expanding.
“It’s wins and losses; those are the only numbers that count to me,” Canales said.
Others have noticed.
“The last few weeks you can certainly see that they’ve created some consistency, some rhythm and a flow,” New Orleans coach Kellen Moore said of the Panthers.
The Saints (1-8) will regroup in several areas after making trades this week. Rashid Shaheed, the team’s second-leading receiver and return specialist, was traded to the Seattle Seahawks.
New Orleans will give rookie quarterback Tyler Shough his second NFL start after he threw for 176 yards and a touchdown with an interception last week in a 34-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Starting left guard Trevor Penning was dealt to the Los Angeles Chargers.
“We lost two guys who’ve contributed to this organization for a long time,” Moore said. “It’s going to provide opportunities for some other guys, and there’s certainly some excitement from that component.”
Chris Olave is New Orleans’ top receiver with 560 yards and three touchdowns.
Rico Dowdle, who has worked his way into becoming the primary running back for the Panthers, was held out of Wednesday’s practice with a quadriceps injury. He rushed for 130 yards and two touchdowns vs. the Packers, becoming the fourth player in franchise history with three games of 125 yards on the ground in a season.
If Dowdle isn’t able to play, Chuba Hubbard is bound to be full of energy in a bid to regain the top spot on the depth chart.
“If it’s Chuba rolling out there, I feel great, very confident about executing things the way we want it done,” Canales said.
It’s possible Carolina will have to retool the offensive line with guard Chandler Zavala missing practice because of an elbow injury a week after returning to action. That situation on the line could be rectified with Cade Mays back at practice after missing last week’s game.
The Panthers not only have racked up victories, but there’s recognition coming with those.
Safety Tre’von Moehrig, in his first season with Carolina, was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts against the Packers. The Panthers have had four players recognized with weekly NFL honors this season — something that hasn’t happened since 2017.
