CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ The Carolina Panthers ended their 25th season looking worse than an expansion team, as they got blitzed, 42-10, by New Orleans.
A steady drizzle fell for much of the game at Bank of America Stadium as Panthers fans got soaked one last time in 2019. Once 5-3 after they won for the fifth and final time on Nov. 3, the Panthers then lost eight straight. On the positive side, the Panthers (5-11) will now pick no worse than eighth overall in the 2020 NFL draft.
New Orleans (13-3) led 35-0 by late in the second quarter in a game the Saints needed to win to keep in contention for a first-round playoff bye. Drew Brees played deep into the third quarter for New Orleans and then departed, awaiting the playoffs. Teddy Bridgewater finished the game at quarterback for the Saints, who once again are a Super Bowl contender.
Notes on the game:
_ Panthers rookie quarterback Will Grier was knocked out of the game in the second quarter with a foot injury after taking a shellacking on several pass plays. Grier's final stats were among the worst ever posted by a Panthers starting quarterback in a single game: 1-for-8 for 4 yards and a pick-six interception to former Panther linebacker A.J. Klein. Grier's passer rating was 0.0, and you can do no worse than that. Randy Fasani also had a 0.0 QB rating in the lone game he ever started for Carolina, in 2002.
_ Kyle Allen came in for Grier at quarterback once the rookie left for good with a foot injury. Allen was much better � at least the Panthers started moving the ball then _ although it was a low bar. In a fitting end to the season, Allen threw an end-zone interception on Carolina's last possession of 2019.
_ I still don't think Panthers defensive tackle Vernon Butler should have played in this game.
Butler was fined approximately $25,000 by the NFL, according to reports, but not suspended for his actions a week ago. I thought the Panthers should have made him inactive after he punched a player (the wrong player, too!) last Sunday and then flipped his middle finger at Indianapolis fans on his way out of the stadium after being ejected. It sent the wrong message to let him play.
_ The catch of the day came from Saints tight end Jared Cook, who made a one-handed grab in the end zone of a Drew Brees bullet for a 21-yard touchdown.
_ A close second for catch of the day? Panthers' reserve wide receiver Brandon Zylstra made a leaping sideline grab in the third quarter that meant nothing as far as the game result but was still impressive. Zylstra later had a 40-yard diving catch in the third quarter � turns out he should have been playing more this season.
_ Christian McCaffrey got his 1,000-1,000 season with a little to spare, hitting 67 yards receiving in the third quarter and then staying in for one more catch during the fourth to make sure before leaving. McCaffrey became only the third running back to get 1,000 yards rushing and passing in the same season, joining Marshall Faulk and Roger Craig.
_ Punter Michael Palardy was the Panthers' most improved player. After having two punts run back for a touchdown and a third taken back for 40 yards last week at Indianapolis, Palardy this time had an unreturnable punt of 62 yards and another punt that got downed at the 1.
_ If that was Greg Olsen's last game as a Panther, it was forgettable. Olsen had two catches for 12 yards. Olsen was honored at the two-minute warning on the scoreboard. He waved to fans and was obviously emotional.
_ Olsen was also announced as the Tom Berry Good Guy Award winner, given by the local chapter of the Pro Football Writers Association to honor the player most helpful to the media during the season. Olsen is the first repeat winner of the award, which is named for longtime High Point Enterprise columnist Berry, who covered the Panthers regularly and died in 2009.
_ The end of the fourth quarter very much resembled a preseason game. The stands were at least 90% empty and both teams were playing their reserves.
_ When the Panthers allowed their 31st rushing touchdown of the season in the first quarter, they became the first team to give up that many TDs on the ground since the 2008 Detroit Lions, who went 0-16.
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