In the first of two games during Monday Night Football’s Week 2 doubleheader, the New Orleans Saints will do battle with the Carolina Panthers in a crucial NFC showdown. In what many consider to be a tossup division, every game counts, especially those against NFC South rivals.
A win here would put the Saints at 2-0, tied for the division lead with the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Meanwhile, rookie Bryce Young and the Panthers desperately need to avoid a potential 0-2 start.
Saints vs. Panthers Results and Box Score
We will update the box score as the game continues.
LIVE Highlights and Analysis
We will continue to update this section as the game kicks off.
First Quarter
Panthers 3, Saints 0
7:34 p.m. ET: After another short punt in this one, the Saints start their drive near the 35-yard line. The Saints put together a nice drive thanks to the second appearance of the Swiss Army knife QB/TE/WR/RB Taysom Hill. The Saints’ run game has been trying to figure itself out with Tayson Hill, Jamaal Williams, and Tony Jones Jr. all contributing. The team has yet to really find its rushing attack since the Alvin Kamara suspension.
7:30 p.m. ET: Young’s first possession at home as a Panther ends with a 52-yard FIELD GOAL by Eddie Pinero. The drive was solid, but poor offensive line play and penalties stalled the momentum Young had created. Thielen already has three receptions on the day, which is a good sign for the team after the WR finished last week with just 2 receptions for 12 yards in their Week 1 loss to the Falcons.
7:23 p.m. ET: After taking a big hit on his first play, Young hands off to RB Miles Sanders who breaks off an impressive first down run. The Panthers follow up the big run with a short pass to veteran offseason acquisition Adam Thielen.
7:20 p.m. ET: The Panthers’ defense ended the Saints’ first drive with a big sack on QB Derek Carr thanks to LB Frankie Luvu. After a bad punt from New Orleans’ P Lou Hedley, rookie Bryce Young starts his first drive with excellent field position. The Saints have one of the best defenses in the NFL and will provide quite the test for the first-year starter.
7:16 p.m. ET: The night got started with the premiere of Monday Night Football’s brand new anthem “In the Air Tonight” featuring Chris Stapleton, Snoop Dogg, and Cindy Blackman Santana. The song has been well received by NFL fans and is a remake of the classic Phil Collins version.
How To Watch Saints vs. Panthers Monday Night Football
ESPN airs three Monday Night Football doubleheaders this season, with the first two broadcasting in Weeks 2 and 3. Here’s how to watch tonight’s first MNF game, including the start time, TV channels, and live stream options.
- Date
Monday, Sept. 18 - Start time
7:15 p.m. ET - Location
Bank of America Stadium - Channel
ESPN, ESPN2 - Live stream options
YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, FuboTV
Saints vs. Panthers Betting Predictions and Best Bets
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook unless stated otherwise.
- Spread
Saints -3 - Moneyline
Saints -155, Panthers +130 - Total
39.5
As we prepare for Monday Night Football, let’s take a look at what two PFN betting analysts had to say regarding the outcome of this game. Brian Blewis and Kyle Soppe each provide their best bet and prediction for the NFC South showdown.
Soppe: Last season, the Panthers, despite a schedule with subpar quarterback talent on the opposition, ranked 21st in yards per pass. That alone would mean targeting them through the air as an option, and with 2021 first-round pick Jaycee Horn on IR (hamstring), this is a good spot to load up on the Saints.
MORE: Week 3 NFL Power Rankings
In Week 1, Rashid Shaheed again showcased his game-breaking abilities. With Derek Carr’s aDOT continuing to trend up (second highest in Week 1), Shaheed’s 4.3 speed is a weapon of mass destruction. He has a 30+ yard grab in seven of his past 11 games and has been efficient in his young career (33 catches on 40 targets).
Picks: Rashid Shaheed over 36.5 receiving yards (-125 at DraftKings), Shaheed to record 50+ receiving yards (+165 at DraftKings)
Blewis: Chris Olave was a popular pick to have a breakout season in 2023, and he did not disappoint in Week 1. Despite leaving the game briefly with an injury, Olave had eight catches for 112 yards on 10 targets, including a 45-yard reception. It took just one game, but it looks like he already has chemistry with Carr.
This week, he goes against a Panthers team missing their best player in the secondary (Horn).
With a short spread on the road against a divisional rival, I’m not expecting this game to be a blowout, so I believe the Saints won’t be taking their foot off the gas early in this one. As of writing this, there’s a three-yard disparity in Olave’s prop at DraftKings and FanDuel, leading me to believe this number will only go up.
Pick: Chris Olave over 69.5 receiving yards (-115 at DraftKings)
Saints vs. Panthers Fantasy Advice
PFN’s Fantasy Analyst Kyle Soppe broke down this Monday Night Football game for all fantasy football enthusiasts. With analysis for every single fantasy-relevant player in this game, you can ensure that you make the best choices for your lineups. Here is what Soppe had to say regarding the quarterbacks in this one.
Quarterbacks
Derek Carr: Carr checked all of the boxes I needed him to in the Saints’ Week 1 win, and I think he’ll be a phenomenal bye-week filler when the time comes. He hit four different players with a 25-yard pass and showcased good touch on the deep ball.
His lack of rushing upside hurts, and Jamaal Williams’ potential to soak up scores will keep Carr outside of my top 15 most weeks, but mark my words – his floor will be appealing as the weather cools.
Bryce Young: Maybe Young will turn into something with time, but a fantasy football asset in 2023 is not in the cards. In his debut, he completed just 20 of 38 passes for 146 yards with a touchdown and two picks. The 16-yard run was good to see – he’s a dynasty stash that is nothing more than a Superflex streamer at the moment.
You can see the entire fantasy breakdown here: Saints vs. Panthers Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em
Saints vs. Panthers Latest Injury News, Projected Lineups, and Inactives
The Panthers had three players on the injury report this week. CB Jaycee Horn was placed on injured reserve (IR) ahead of the game, while OT Taylor Moton was cleared on Saturday. WR DJ Chark Jr. was able to practice in full on Saturday but is still listed as questionable. The expectation is that he will be able to go.
MORE: NFL Week 2 Winners and Losers
The Saints opened the week with five players on the injury report. Two were for rest purposes, while TE Juwan Johnson was able to practice in full by Thursday. RB Kendre Miller and DB J.T. Gray were both limited all week in practice and are listed as questionable heading into the games.
Saints Inactives
RB Kendre Miller
RB Kirk Merritt
WR A.T. Perry
WR Lynn Bowden
OL Nick Saldiveri
DE Kyle Phillips
Panthers Inactives
RB Raheem Blackshear
CB Sam Webb
OLB DJ Johnson
G Nash Jensen
OT David Sharpe
What Are the Starting Lineups for Each Team?
Saints Projected Starters
The projected starting lineup is based on the current Saints depth chart.
- Quarterback: Derek Carr
- Running Back: Jamaal Williams
- Fullback: Adam Prentice
- Wide Receiver: Michael Thomas and Chris Olave
- Tight End: Juwan Johnson
- Left Offensive Tackle: Trevor Penning
- Left Guard: Andrus Peat
- Center: Erik McCoy
- Right Guard: Cesar Ruiz
- Right Offensive Tackle: Ryan Ramczyk
- Left Defensive End: Cameron Jordan
- Left Defensive Tackle: Nathan Shepherd
- Right Defensive End: Carl Granderson
- Right Defensive Tackle: Khalen Saunders
- SAM Linebacker: Zack Baun
- MIKE Linebacker: Demario Davis
- WILL Linebacker: Pete Werner
- Left Cornerback: Paulson Adebo
- Right Cornerback: Marshon Lattimore
- Free Safety: Tyrann Mathieu
- Strong Safety: Marcus Maye
- Kicker: Blake Grupe
- Punter: Lou Hedley
- Long Snapper: Zach Wood
- Punt Returner: Rashid Shaheed
- Kickoff Returner: Rashid Shaheed
Panthers Projected Starters
The projected starting lineup is based on the current Panthers depth chart.
- Quarterback: Bryce Young
- Running Back: Miles Sanders
- Fullback: Giovanni Ricci
- Wide Receiver: DJ Chark Jr. and Jonathan Mingo
- Tight End: Hayden Hurst
- Left Offensive Tackle: Ikem Ekwonu
- Left Guard: Cade Mays
- Center: Bradley Bozeman
- Right Guard: Chandler Zavala
- Right Offensive Tackle: Taylor Moton
- Defensive End: DeShawn Williams
- Defensive Tackle: Derrick Brown
- Nose Tackle: Shy Tuttle
- Left Outside Linebacker: Brian Burns
- Left Inside Linebacker: Frankie Luvu
- Right Inside Linebacker: Shaq Thompson
- Right Outside Linebacker: Justin Houston
- Left Cornerback: Jeremy Chinn
- Right Cornerback: Donte Jackson
- Free Safety: Xavier Woods
- Strong Safety: Vonn Bell
- Kicker: Eddy Piniero
- Punter: Johnny Hekker
- Long Snapper: JJ Jansen
- Punt Returner: Ihmir Smith-Marsette
- Kickoff Returner: Ihmir Smith-Marsette
