The New Orleans Saints wanted to start the season with a big bang, and they did. The Black-and-Gold jumped out to a 30-0 point lead and prevented Carolina from crossing the 50-yard line in the first 29:30 of the game en route to a 47-10 victory. That 47-point total is a new record for most points scored by the Saints in a season opener.
Saints quarterback Derek Carr passed for 200 yards and three touchdowns. Halfback Alvin Kamara rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown, while Jamaal Williams rushed for 34 yards and another score. Swiss Army Knife Taysom Hill rushed for 35 yards and caught one pass for one yard.
Rasheed Shaheed scored the first Saints touchdown of the season on the fifth play of the opening drive, catching a deep strike from quarterback Derek Carr for a 59-yard touchdown three minutes into the game. Shaheed finished the game with three catches for 73 yards and that score.
The Saints defense then said, “Anything you can do, we can do better.” Saints defensive back Will Harris picked off Carolina quarterback Bryce Young on the Panthers’ first play of the season, returning the pick to the Panthers’ 40-yard line. One the ensuing drive, Carr tried to connect with Shaheed again for a long touchdown, but the Panthers’ Michael Jackson tipped the pass away. The Saints settled for a 57-yard field goal by Blake Grupe to make the score 10-0 five minutes into the game.
The Saints added to that lead on their next possession after relying on their backfield to get them into scoring position. First-down runs by Taysom Hill and Alvin Kamara set up the Saints inside the 10-yard line, allowing Derek Carr an opportunity to find tight end Foster Moreau in the back of the end zone for his second touchdown completion of the day. Moreau’s final stat line included four catches for 43 yards and that touchdown. Grupe’s PAT gave the Saints a 17-0 advantage with 1:23 remaining in the opening frame.
The Saints maintained control into the second quarter. After a holding penalty backed up Carolina on third down, Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor sacked Young on a blitz to force the Panthers to punt.
The Saints effectively drained time off the clock on the next drive, taking more than five minutes to go 45 yards down field before Grupe extended the lead to 20-0 with a 44-yard field goal at the 7:03 mark of the second quarter.
The Saints defense promptly regained possession for the Black-and-Gold thanks to Tyronn Mathieu. The cornerback stripped the ball from running back Jonathan Mingo and recovered the fumble. The Honey Badger’s takeaway set up another Saints scoring drive, capped off by a 52-yard Grupe field goal.
The Saints were not satisfied to take a 23-0 lead into the half. Taylor recorded his second sack of the day to pin Carolina deep in their own territory with about 1:40 left in the second quarter. Shaheed returned the ensuing punt 47 yards to the 16-yard line. One play later, Carr found tight end JuJuan Johnson in the front corner of the end zone for a touchdown, giving the Saints a 30-0 advantage with 1:15 left in the first half.
Carolina finally put points on the scoreboard on the final drive of the first half. The Panthers broke across midfield for the first time in the game, setting up a 43-yard Eddy Pineiro field goal as time expired on the second quarter, making the score 30-3 at the half.
The Panthers squandered a make-it-take-it opportunity at the start of the third quarter. In the third play from scrimmage, Saints safety Jordan Howden intercepted Young, giving New Orleans the ball near midfield. Nine minutes plays, 57 yards, and 5:26 later, Kamara found the end zone for the first time in the 2024 campaign to extend the Saints’ lead.
Carolina rebounded in their next drive, working their way down to the one-yard line. On fourth-and-goal, Young dived into the end zone, holding on to the ball just long enough to cross the goal line before a Saints defender knocked the ball out of his hands. The two-yard scamper and Pineiro’s PAT made the score 37-10 with 4:55 to go in the third quarter.
The Saints responded with a score of their own. New Orleans capped off a 12-play, 43-yard drive with a 39-yard field goal, Grupe’s fourth of the day, to extend their lead to 40-10.
Taylor’s third sack of the afternoon came on Carolina’s next drive. The Saints’ special teams unit then made its mark on the game when Johnson blocked a punt to give the Saints the ball at the Carolina 36-yard line. Carr found Moreau for a 22-yard gain on the first play of the ensuing drive. Williams took the ball the rest of the way in a pitchout to the left side, scoring his first touchdown of the year to extend the Saints lead with 10:38 to go in the game.
The Saints travel to play the Dallas Cowboys next Sunday.