PHOTO | TROY HULL

Carolina Panthers defensive end Marquis Haynes returns a New Orleans fumble 44 yard for a touchdown in the Panthers' 22-14 win Sunday at Bank of America Stadium. The victory broke a nine-game losing streak that dated back to the 2021 season.

The Carolina Panthers needed only defense, special teams, and Laviska Shenault Jr. on Sunday.

The Panthers overcame a sluggish offensive performance to beat New Orleans 22-14 for their first win of the season. The victory broke a nine-game losing streak dating back to Nov. 14, 2021 and was Carolina’s first home win since week two of last year, ironically against the Saints.

Getting to 1-2 wasn’t pretty considering the offense continued its struggles from the first two weeks. Quarterback Baker Mayfield started the game 0-for-3 passing, missing receivers D.J. Moore and Robbie Anderson on inaccurate throws, and finished the first half with only 44 passing yards. The Panthers’ offense struggled to find the end zone, scoring one touchdown that came in the fourth quarter, and Moore and Anderson came away with one reception apiece.

“I knew we weren’t going to get behind them today,” Panthers coach Matt Rhule said. “They have too many crafty veteran players back there. You’re playing against Marshon Lattimore, you’re playing against Tyrann Mathieu. We thought we would be more explosive in the intermediate areas. We weren’t. There’s a lot of work to be done offensively to get this thing to the level that we want.”

Other facets — defense and special teams — gave Carolina the boost it needed.

The Panthers’ defense took it upon themselves to put points on the board in the first quarter. Immediately following an unnecessary roughness penalty against defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos, linebacker Frankie Luvu stripped Alvin Kamara of the ball and Marquis Haynes took it to the house for six. The forced fumble was the first takeaway for Carolina this season.

“I made an inside move. Kamara kind of stuttered a little bit. He had the ball out. He’s like leaning and had the ball out. So, I was there — right there at the right time,” Luvu said.

Although they recorded only one sack – from safety Jeremy Chinn – the defense brought significant pressure against the Saints’ offensive line as well. The Panthers hit New Orleans quarterback Jameis Winston six times and made him uncomfortable in the pocket throughout the game.

“We [were] after him,” defensive end Brian Burns said. “We [were] always in his face, we hit him a couple of times. I mean, the best thing is to get him rattled, to get any quarterback rattled, really. That’s when they start making mistakes. But, the more you’re in his face, the more you put pressure on him, the more we’ll get takeaways.”

And that’s exactly how Carolina earned its second turnover. On a second and 10 early in the fourth quarter, Jaycee Horn provided extra pressure on a blitz and tipped Winston’s pass in the air, which landed the hands of a diving Derrick Brown. The defensive tackle had a similar opportunity for a one-handed interception shortly before but dropped the pass.

“It’s truly a blessing I got a second opportunity to do that,” Brown said. “My job is just to rush the passer and tackle the running back. I mean, I never thought that was going to happen.”

The Panthers’ defense earned a total of three turnovers — the last one a game-clinching interception by Horn in the final moments.

Special teams also showed up for Carolina on Sunday, making impacts on momentum and field position.

In the final three minutes of the first half, New Orleans marched to the Carolina 11. Like all game, the Panthers held and forced a field goal attempt. Defensive end Henry Anderson blocked the kick to keep the Saints scoreless before getting the ball in the second half.

“The blocked field goal was awesome,” Rhule said. “I thought that’s exactly what we needed. This is one of the best two-minute, end of half, end of game offenses that there is in football the last few years. To get that field goal blocked and have the miss coming out of the half, I thought those were crucial things.”

Then, there was Shenault being a game-breaker in multiple ways. In his first game as a Panther (he was inactive the first two weeks), he returned kicks for a total of 54 yards, gaining 18 on the opening kick-off and 36 following the Saints’ fourth-quarter touchdown, which set up his first reception as a Panther.

Two plays after the return, Shenault caught a flat route from Mayfield and took it 67 yards to the end zone.

“I saw green,” said Shenault, who finished with two receptions for 90 yards. “I saw an opportunity that had to be snatched away by me.”

Shenault said it felt good to make an impact, as Rhule felt he was ready to play after watching him compete and make tough plays in practice.

Special teams put the game away with seconds left as Johnny Hekker’s 44-yard punt was downed at the New Orleans 1. As a result, the Saints’ chances of going 99 yards for a potential game-tying touchdown were slim to none.

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