The Carolina Panthers finally secured their first win of 2022—topping their NFC South rival New Orleans Saints, 22-14. And that victory wouldn’t come without some notable performances—both good and bad.
Here are our studs and duds from Sunday’s game.
Stud: WR Laviska Shenault Jr.
Shenault Jr. had an emphatic welcome to the Panthers on Sunday, making big plays on special teams and offense. And his most impactful moments of the game came in the fourth quarter, where he made up nearly all of a scoring drive for Carolina.
Following a Saints touchdown with 12:31 remaining in the game, Shenault Jr. returned a kickoff for 36 yards and set the Panthers up with favorable field position. One incompletion later, he hauled in a short swing pass from quarterback Baker Mayfield and turned on the jets for a 67-yard trip to the end zone.
The 6-foot-1, 225-pound receiver showed off his evasiveness and speed, making defenders miss and outrunning the secondary on his way to six points. Shenault Jr. also made another big play later in the game, gaining 23 yards to convert on a third-and-14 with just 5:20 left in the game.
Overall, the former Jaguars receiver seems to be a bright spot on a struggling Panthers offense, now that he is finally involved in the game plan.
Dud: QB Baker Mayfield
Mayfield’s stat line may have been saved by Shenault Jr.’s big plays, but it wasn’t even that great with those included. The fifth-year veteran threw for a modest 170 yards on a 48-percent completion rate, with one touchdown and no interceptions.
He didn’t completely damage the Panthers too much with his poor play, but he also didn’t help them win. Carolina will look for Mayfield to improve his numbers as he builds chemistry with the receivers in the coming weeks.
Stud: LB Frankie Luvu
Luvu was a highlight machine for the Panthers in this divisional matchup.
He kicked things off in the first quarter with an impressive forced fumble of running back Alvin Kamara. Then, on the ensuing recovery, he chipped in with a nice block of quarterback Jameis Winston to help Marquis Haynes Sr.’s 44-yard run to pay dirt.
Although he missed a crucial backfield tackle that allowed Mark Ingram II to bring the Saints within one score in the fourth quarter, Luvu continued to make plays throughout the game and finished with five total tackles.
Stud: Panthers specialists
Kicker Eddy Piñeiro has been Carolina’s most consistent scorer on offense. He followed up perfect performances in the team’s first two games with another one Sunday, converting all three of his field goal attempts and his sole extra point try.
Punter Johnny Hekker, additionally, averaged 46.8 yards per punt on the day— including a perfect kick at the end of the contest that pinned New Orleans at their own 1-yard line. That, in turn, led to the game-clinching interception from cornerback Jaycee Horn on the next play.
Dud: WR Shi Smith
Smith has had a shaky start to the season so far, making fewer contributions than expected on offense and special teams.
While the second-year wideout managed to gain 22 yards off two receptions in the game, his most memorable moment came on a punt return—when he called for a fair catch with no Saints players within at least 10 yards of him. The young receiver and returner will look to improve throughout the season as he gains experience in his new roles.
Stud: Panthers pass rush
Carolina’s pass rushers made Jameis Winston’s day difficult, putting immense pressure on the already-ailing quarterback throughout the game.
The team only sacked Winston once, but they hit him six times—one of which caused an interception. That sack came as Horn blitzed and sacked Winston for a loss of 11 yards to force a field goal attempt, which the Saints then missed. The play allowed the Panthers to keep their defensive shutout until New Orleans scored 14 points in the fourth quarter.
Dud: Panthers secondary
Even facing an injured Winston, the secondary could not stop the Saints from connecting on deep passes downfield.
He threw for 353 yards and a touchdown on 41 passing attempts, and repeatedly found rookie receiver Chris Olave throughout the game. Olave hauled in nine of his 13 targets for 147 yards, including a 49-yarder at the expense of cornerback CJ Henderson.
Tre’Quan Smith also had a big game, catching four passes for a whopping 105 yards with a 48-yard reception of his own. Additionally, Marquez Callaway, New Orleans’ leading receiver last season, plucked an incredible touchdown catch out of the air with multiple Panthers defenders surrounding him.
Stud: RB Christian McCaffrey
McCaffrey, who notched 108 yards on 25 carries, has now secured back-to-back 100-yard rushing games. The Panthers offense leaned heavily on their star to take pressure off Mayfield and keep the unit moving.
His yardage total also could have been a lot higher had Panthers rookie left tackle Ikem Ekwonu not been called for a holding penalty on his 40-yard run in the fourth quarter.
