Panthers Nation

Lore & Background

The Saints began play in 1967. The Panthers were officially accepted as an NFL franchise in 1993 and began play in 1995, joining the Saints in the NFC West Division. Both located in the Southeastern United States, the Panthers and Saints had a natural geographic rivalry. The Panthers and Saints developed an evenly and hotly-contested rivalry, with the Saints becoming the most commonly-faced opponent for the Panthers. For their entire rivalry, the two have been divisional rivals, first in the NFC West from 1995 to 2001, and then as members of the NFC South alongside the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers since 2002. Sam Mills, a member of the Saints' 'Dome Patrol' until 1994, left New Orleans to join the Panthers for their inaugural 1995 season. Mills took exception to the Saints only expressing interest in re-signing him after the Panthers made him an offer during free agency. He later became a member of both the Saints' Hall of Fame and Panthers' Hall of Honor.

In Their Own Story

A kid in a size-small jersey—too small, clearly borrowed from an older brother—stands on the railing of the lower bowl, one hand gripping the steel, the other raised in a silent 'come on' every time the ball crosses the line of scrimmage. Around him, the sea is black and blue, unbroken, a single breathing organism. The PA announcer calls the next play, and the roar that follows is not a cheer so much as a pressure wave, the kind that makes the beer in your cup ripple. Somewhere in the upper deck, a group of fans in matching silver face paint chants in a rhythm that has no name but everyone knows. The Panthers line up in the red zone. The kid on the railing grips the steel harder. The city holds its breath. Then the snap, the drive, the score—and the sound that erupts is not human. It is Charlotte, all of it, at once.

Reader's Guide

The Panthers won the first game between the two teams on October 22, 1995, 20–3. From 2000 to 2002, the Saints went on a five-game winning streak over the Panthers, their longest of the rivalry. In 2003, the Panthers defeated the Saints 23–20 in an overtime game en route to their first Super Bowl appearance. In 2006, quarterback Drew Brees joined the Saints. Brees' record against the Panthers was historically close in both 2012 and 2015, but he won his final 8 matches against Carolina and finished his career with an 18–11 record against them. In his first twelve seasons as the Saints' starter, Brees only missed two games, both road losses at Carolina. During the final week of the 2011 season, the Saints defeated the Panthers; in that game, Brees extended his single-season record for most passing yards and set the single-season record for most passing completions, while Newton became the first rookie quarterback to pass for over 4,000 yards in a season. The 2014 season saw chippy games between the two squads, including an infamous all-out brawl after a Cam Newton touchdown run. Both teams won 11 games in 2017; the Saints won both regular season matches and the NFC South, while the Panthers qualified as a wild card. The teams met in the NFC Wild Card round, with New Orleans winning 31–26. Brees passed for 7,949 yards and 55 touchdowns in his career against the Panthers, both figures higher than any other player. In his final regular season game, Brees threw for three touchdowns and led the Saints to a 33–7 victory over the Panthers, completing a season sweep of the entire NFC South division—the first team to do so.

Did You Know?

• The Saints lead the overall series 34–29.
• The two teams have met once in the playoffs, with the Saints winning.
• Sam Mills played for both the Saints and Panthers and is in both teams' halls of fame.
• Drew Brees finished his career with a 17–11 record against the Panthers.
• In 2017, the Saints and Panthers met in the playoffs for the only time, with New Orleans winning 31–26.