CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Of the two Monday Night Football matchups in Week 2, one of the game’s newest field generals looks to step up in primetime, as Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers host the New Orleans Saints.
New Orleans Saints (1-0) vs. Carolina Panthers (0-1)
- When: Monday, September 18
- Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
- Where: Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, N.C.)
- Channel: ESPN, ESPN2
- Stream: FuboTV (Free Trial), DirecTV Stream, Sling
The first game in the career of Bryce Young went as expected. The former Heisman Trophy winner threw a pair of interceptions against another NFC South rival, the Atlanta Falcons, but did toss a touchdown pass to Hayden Hurst in a 24-10 loss. While the Falcons had excellent field position in parts of the game, Carolina’s defense only gave up 221 yards of total offense.
It is not going to be a glorious season for Young and the Panthers. The goal is to have Young gain confidence as his rookie campaign goes along, along with the rest of the team growing for a brighter future.
Another team starting over is the Saints. However, their lack of offense did not lead to a loss in Week 1. Just one touchdown pass from Derek Carr to Rashid Shaheed made the difference in a 16-15 win over the Tennessee Titans. Carr did not have a bad debut, throwing for 305 yards while getting picked off once. Former Detroit Lion Jamaal Williams led New Orleans in rushing, picking up 45 yards on 18 carriers. However, the star of the show was the Saints’ defense, as they kept the Titans out of the endzone, grabbing three interceptions from Ryan Tannehill. In a division that is seemingly as wide open as the South is, a stout defense can keep the Saints near the top of the division.
The Panthers swept the season series last year, and have won three of the last four meetings against the Saints. However, New Orleans leads the historical series, 29-28
MY PICK: Saints win, 21-10
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