It's been more than a calendar year since the New Orleans Saints won back-to-back games. Might that change in Week 15?
The Saints are looking to sweep the Panthers and play spoiler for another NFC South rival, this time a team that's coming in fresh and off its best win of the season in an upset of the Rams.
THE GAME l Panthers (7-6) at Saints (3-10)
- When: 3:25 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 14
- Where: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Series history: Saints lead 33-29
- Last meeting: 2025, Saints 17, Panthers 7
- Betting: Saints +2.5; over/under 40.5
- TV: FOX
- Listen: WWL AM-870; FM-105.3 & the Audacy app
- Pregame: First Take with Steve Geller & Jeff Nowak 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Countdown to Kickoff with Steve Geller & Bobby Hebert, 1 to 3 p.m.
Tyler Shough has continued to open eyes across the NFL, and all of that really started with an impressive performance in Week 10 against Carolina. Another big day would seem to solidify what's been an impressive rookie campaign, even if the only thing on the line at this point is draft positioning.
With all that in mind, here are the top three things I'm watching for (and some lagniappe) when the Saints face down the Panthers in Week 15.
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1. Can Tyler prove 'em right?
Last week about this time I was asking why more people weren't talking about Tyler Shough. Despite the team's overall record, which is admittedly hard to look past, there was a strong argument to be made that Shough was playing as well as anyone in his rookie class ... and a good chunk of last year's QB class.
He was being overlooked for a lot of the same reasons he was dismissed in the draft process. Age, injury history, you name it -- anything but the play on the field.
"Just don’t listen to anything that anyone is saying," Shough said when asked what his biggest piece of advice would be for any young player entering the league.
"I remember I wasn’t even on anybody’s radar. I remember when I got picked there was probably a lot of people upset, and it’s just gonna continue to change," he continued. "I think all the guys coming out, it’s gonna just go through your process, be yourself throughout the whole draft process, be authentic to who you are, about your journey, about your shortcomings, all that stuff, and I think it’s going to work out the way it’s supposed to.”
Shough isn't being overlooked anymore, because NFL fans and analysts are often victims of the moment. A stellar second half against the Dolphins was never going to draw eyes because it came in a losing effort. But when you stun the division-leading Bucs on their home slop, err, I mean turf, that changes quickly. The conversation has shifted on a dime from "what were the Saints looking at?" to "why didn't anyone see this coming?" And while the answers are pretty obvious, it does create an interesting scenario.
It's easy to find motivation when everyone is doubting you. Are you able to find the same edge when everyone has expectations?
"I’m a human. I want to prove people wrong. I want to prove doubters wrong, but at the same time that’s not why I’m playing," Shough told me this week. "I play because I freaking love it. I mean, I love to go out there and practice and be hanging out with the guys and just go eat and play football and, you know, like, that’s why I’m doing it."
That's what you want to hear, and that's what will be important for him to show over the next few weeks. Can you be more than just a flash in the pan and prove that the Saints should be not only taking a long, hard look and instead actively building around their next franchise quarterback?
A rough game and loss to the Panthers won't eliminate the positive road ahead, but it will tap the brakes a little. If Shough and the Saints offense can again come out and put forth a winning effort, there are VERY winnable games ahead with the 3-10 Jets and 2-11 Vikings before a Week 18 matchup with the Falcons. This week's game is the only major hurdle standing in the way of a potential four-game winning streak to end the season. That wouldn't necessarily be the best thing from a draft perspective, but it would mean a major springboard of excitement heading into the 2026 season.
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2. Can you keep proving Bryce wrong?
I feel like I must have a warped understanding of who Bryce Young is as a quarterback, because man ... the former No. 1 overall pick has been unimpressive against the Saints, to say the least.
In his short career Bryce is 1-4 in matchups with New Orleans, the lone win a late rally that led to the firing of Dennis Allen the next day. Even in that game a Saints team that had lost six straight blew the game in such a fashion that it broke the last remaining confidence in their head coach. That's how little the Saints think of the Panthers, a loss on the road was enough to prompt massive change.
Don't believe me, here are Young's numbers in those five matchups:
- 81-150 (54.6%)
- 746 yards (149.2 per game)
- 2 touchdowns, 4 interceptions
- 15 sacks (-105 yards)
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In the matchup earlier this season Young managed just 124 yards passing, one of seven games this season where he's failed to throw for more than 170 yards. The Saints rookie QB has had that happen just once in five starts, and that was last week against Tampa in a rain-soaked game where he also ran for 56 and a pair of touchdowns.
The bizarre thing is that in two of Young's past three games (wins over the Falcons and Rams) he threw for 654 yards and six touchdowns against zero interceptions. Those games sandwiched a loss to the Falcons when he was picked off twice and threw for 169 yards and a touchdown.
The Saints' young secondary has come a long way as the season has progressed. I'm banking on them shutting down Bryce again in this one.
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3. Who can run it?
Normally I talk about one side or the other in these segments, but these two things are equally important in Week 15.
- Can you run the ball?
- Can you stop the run?
Both the Saints and Panthers have been two different teams when they've had success on the ground this season. Over the past nine games the Saints are 3-0 when they've rushed for more than 85 yards. In games where they've been held below that mark? 0-6.
And the Panthers?
- In their 7 wins: 154.9 rushing yards per game
- In their 6 losses: 91.2
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Both things came true in the Saints' Week 10 win. The Saints rushed for 122 yards and the Panthers were held to 73. The result was New Orleans' most impressive win of the season on both sides of the ball, even if the 17-7 scoreline didn't reflect it.
The biggest thing the Saints must avoid in that respect is the chunk runs. They've allowed 10 rushes of 20-plus yards this season, the 8th most in the NFL. For perspective, the Saints offense has only generated three such runs, and two came last week in the win over the Bucs.
This will be another game with rookie Devin Neal dominating the backfield. Let's see if he can set a career high for a third consecutive game.
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LAGNIAPPE
The Saints have their offensive line back whole, or at least as whole as its going to get, with Taliese Fuaga returning from an ankle injury. Fingers crossed he can get through this one without another issue on that front. ... Justin Reid is questionable with a knee issue. If he can't go, expect another heavy dose of Jordan Howden and Terrell Burgess. ... The Panthers have the fewest QB pressures of any team in the NFL and their 18 sacks ranks 31st. They play zone coverage at the highest rate of any team in the NFL. This game will be about the rookie QB making the right reads moreso than making plays with his legs. ... Chris Olave is 189 yards shy of cracking 1,000 for the third time in four NFL seasons, though he'll need a few big games to push his career high (1,123 yards). His next touchdown would mark a career best, though, with five through 13 games. ... Cam Jordan has a cool $1.4 million still on the table over his final four games. He's currently leading the team with 6.5 sacks, and the way his contract is structured he'll earn $400,000 a piece for No. 7 and 8, and then another $600,000 for No. 9. If Jordan reaches that mark his highest sack total since the 2021 season. ... The team has called up kicker Charlie Smyth for a third and final time. In order to keep rolling him out there beyond this week the team would have to sign him. That makes Week 15 possibly the most important game of his career. He's been rock solid outside of a 48-yard miss in brutal conditions last week. A strong day in the Dome would likely solidify his spot. A shaky one? That could lead the Saints to at least find out what Cade York has to offer, while retaining Smyth's roster exemption.