The Panthers–Saints rivalry is a

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL)

rivalry A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...

between the

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...

and

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

. The Panthers joined the NFL as an expansion team in the 1995 season, joining the Saints as members of the

NFC West The National Football Conference – Western Division or NFC West is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It currently has four members: the Arizona Card ...

. As part of the NFL's 2002 division realignment, the Panthers and Saints were both placed in the newly formed

NFC South The National Football Conference – Southern Division or NFC South is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created before the 2002 NFL season when th ...

. As divisional rivals, the two teams play each other twice each season. The Saints lead the overall series, 32–29. The two teams have met once in the

playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...

, with the Saints winning.

Background

The Saints began play in 1967. The Panthers, meanwhile, were officially accepted as an NFL franchise in 1993. They 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 set-up. Ultimately, the Panthers and Saints would develop an evenly and hotly-contested rivalry. The latter would also become the most commonly-faced opponent for the former. For their entire rivalry, the two have been divisional rivals, mostly as members of the

alongside the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...

and

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...

1995–2001: NFC West rivals

On October 22, 1995, the Panthers won the first game between the two teams, 20–3. From 2000 to 2002, the Saints went on a five-game winning streak over the Panthers, their longest of the rivalry.

Sam Mills Samuel Davis Mills Jr. (June 3, 1959 – April 18, 2005) was an American professional football player who was a linebacker for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers. He also played f ...

was a figure of the early Panthers–Saints rivalry. A member of the Saints' "

Dome Patrol The Dome Patrol was the linebacker corps of the National Football League's New Orleans Saints during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Under head coach Jim Mora, it formed the second level of defensive coordinator Steve Sidwell's 3–4 defense, con ...

" until

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

, Mills 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. Mills would later become a member of both the Saints'

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

and Panthers' Hall of Honor.

2002–2010: Joining the NFC South and arrival of Drew Brees

After facing off as NFC West rivals from 1995 to 2001, the Saints and Panthers were moved to the newly formed

in 2002. 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 Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is sec ...

joined the Saints.

Sean Payton Patrick Sean Payton (born December 29, 1963) is an American professional football coach and former quarterback who is the head coach for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Previously, he served as the head coach of the Ne ...

also joined New Orleans as the team's head coach. The Brees–Payton pairing brought the franchise success, which it notably lacked prior to their arrival. Brees' record against the Panthers was documented to be historically close in both 2012 and 2015. However, Brees would win his final 8 matches against Carolina and finish 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.

2011–2017: Cam Newton in Carolina and playoff matchup

After a poor performance during their 2010 season, the Carolina Panthers selected quarterback

Cam Newton Cameron Jerrell Newton (born May 11, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers. He is the NFL le ...

first overall during the

2011 NFL draft The 2011 NFL draft was the 76th installment of the annual National Football League draft, NFL draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players. Like the 2010 draft, the 2011 draft was held at Rad ...

. Linebacker

Luke Kuechly Luke August Kuechly ( ; born April 20, 1991) is an American former professional football player who spent his entire eight-year career as a linebacker for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). Kuechly played college footb ...

was drafted by the Panthers in 2012, becoming a noted figure in the rivalry. Newton was allegedly one of the quarterbacks named in the Saints'

Bountygate The New Orleans Saints bounty scandal, colloquially known as "Bountygate", refers to the alleged illegal program in which the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL) were claimed to have placed bounty (reward), bounties on oppos ...

scandal. During the final week of the 2011 season, the Saints defeated the Panthers. In the game, Brees extended his single-season record for most passing yards, finishing the season with 5,476 and also set the single-season record for most passing completions. In the game, Newton also became the first rookie quarterback to pass for over 4,000 yards in a season. Saints vs Panthers 12

Often engaging in physical and hotly-contested matches, the Saints and Panthers have had scuffles and brawls during matches against each other. The

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

season saw chippy games between the two squads; during the second matchup, the teams engaged in numerous fights and "an infamous all-out brawl after a Cam Newton touchdown run, resulting in multiple player ejections." Both teams were successful during their

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

campaigns, each winning 11 games. The Saints won both regular season matches and won the NFC South division, but the Panthers qualified for the postseason as a wild card. This set up a third game between the two teams during the NFC Wild Card round. New Orleans won at home in what would be a close game, 31–26.

2018–2021: Final seasons of Brees and Newton

The Panthers and Newton would part ways following the

2019 season Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number) * One of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (1987 film), a 1987 science fiction film * '' 19-Nineteen'', a 2009 South Korean film * '' Dici ...

. Brees would retire from the NFL following the 2020 season. Brees passed for 7,949 yards and 55 touchdowns in his career against the Panthers, both figures higher than any other player. In what would be his final regular season game, Brees threw for three touchdowns and led the Saints to a 33–7 victory over the Panthers. In doing so, the Saints completed a season sweep of the entire NFC South division, becoming the first team to do so. Newton briefly returned to the Panthers in 2021, but was on the bench against the Saints. The 2021 season would also be the last for Payton, as he retired from coaching following the season; he later returned to coach the Denver Broncos in 2023.

Season-by-season results

, - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Panthers
20–3 , style=", Saints
34–26 , Tied
1–1 , Panthers join the

(NFL) as an expansion team. They are placed in the

National Football Conference The National Football Conference (NFC) is a conference of the National Football League (NFL), the highest level of professional American football in the United States. The NFC and its counterpart, the American Football Conference (AFC), each h ...

(NFC) and the

, resulting in two meetings annually with the Saints. , - , , style=", Panthers 2–0 , style=", Panthers
19–7 , style=", Panthers
22–20 , Panthers
3–1 , Panthers open Ericsson Stadium (now known as

Bank of America Stadium Bank of America Stadium is a 74,867-seat multi-purpose stadium located on in the Uptown section of Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. It is the home facility and headquarters of the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL ...

).
Following their loss in Carolina, Saints head coach Jim Mora delivers famous "Diddly Poo" press conference and then resigns the following day. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Saints
16–13 , style=", Panthers
13–0 , Panthers
4–2 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Panthers
31–17 , style=", Saints
19–14 , Panthers
5–3 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Panthers
45–13 , style=", Saints
19–10 , Panthers
6–4 , In Carolina, Panthers record their largest victory over the Saints with a 32–point differential and score their most points in a game against the Saints. , - , - , , style=", Saints 2–0 , style=", Saints
20–10 , style=", Saints
24–6 , Tied
6–6 , Saints record their first season sweep of the Panthers. , - , , style=", Saints 2–0 , style=", Saints
27–25 , style=", Saints
27–23 , Saints
8–6 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Saints
34–24 , style=", Panthers
10–6 , Saints
9–7 , During the NFL realignment, both teams are moved to the

. , - , , style=", Panthers 2–0 , style=", Panthers
19–13 , style=", Panthers
23–20 (OT) , Tied
9–9 , Panthers lose

Super Bowl XXXVIII Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion 2003 Carolina Panthers season, Carolina Panthers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2003 New England Patriots season, New E ...

. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Saints
21–18 , style=", Panthers
32–21 , Tied
10–10 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Saints
23–20 , style=", Panthers
27–10 , Tied
11–11 , Due to

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...

, Saints' home game was played at Tiger Stadium in

Baton Rouge Baton Rouge ( ; , ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It had a population of 227,470 at the 2020 United States census, making it List of municipalities in Louisiana, Louisiana's second-m ...

. , - , , style=", Panthers 2–0 , style=", Panthers
21–18 , style=", Panthers
31–21 , Panthers
13–11 , Saints trade for QB

. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Saints
31–6 , style=", Panthers
16–13 , Panthers
14–12 , , - , , style=", Panthers 2–0 , style=", Panthers
30–7 , style=", Panthers
33–31 , Panthers
16–12 , Panthers win seven straight road meetings (2002–2008). , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Panthers
23–10 , style=", Saints
30–20 , Panthers
17–13 , Saints win

Super Bowl XLIV Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champions New Orleans Saints and the American Football Conference (AFC) champions Indianapolis Colts to decide the National Football League (NFL) c ...

. , - , - , , style=", Saints 2–0 , style=", Saints
34–3 , style=", Saints
16–14 , Panthers
17–15 , , - , , style=", Saints 2–0 , style=", Saints
30–27 , style=", Saints
45–17 , Tied
17–17 , Panthers

draft Draft, the draft, or draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a v ...

. , - , , style=", Panthers 2–0 , style=", Panthers
35–27 , style=", Panthers
44–38 , Panthers
19–17 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Panthers
17–13 , style=", Saints
31–13 , Panthers
20–18 , Panthers clinch the NFC South with their win. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Saints
28–10 , style=", Panthers
41–10 , Panthers
21–19 , , - , , style=", Panthers 2–0 , style=", Panthers
27–22 , style=", Panthers
41–38 , Panthers
23–19 , Cam Newton named AP MVP.
Panthers lose

Super Bowl 50 Super Bowl 50 was an American football game to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2015 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) ...

. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Panthers
23–20 , style=", Saints
41–38 , Panthers
24–20 , , - , , style=", Saints 2–0 , style=", Saints
34–13 , style=", Saints
31–21 , Panthers
24–22 , Both teams finish with 11–5 records, but the Saints clinched the NFC South based on their head-to-head sweep, setting up a playoff matchup at New Orleans. , - style="font-weight:bold; background:#f2f2f2;" , 2017 Playoffs , style=", , , style=", Saints
31–26 , Panthers
24–23 , First postseason meeting. NFC Wild Card. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Saints
12–9 , style=", Panthers
33–14 , Panthers
25–24 , , - , , style=", Saints 2–0 , style=", Saints
42–10 , style=", Saints
34–31 , Saints
26–25 , Last start in the series for

. , - , - , , style=", Saints 2–0 , style=", Saints
33–7 , style=", Saints
27–24 , Saints
28–25 , Game in Carolina was

' final career regular season game and victory. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Panthers
26–7 , style=", Saints
18–10 , Saints
29–26 , , - , , style=", Panthers 2–0 , style=", Panthers
22–14 , style=", Panthers
10–7 , Saints
29–28 , , - , , style=", Saints 2–0 , style=", Saints
20–17 , style=", Saints
28–6 , Saints
31–28 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Panthers
23–22 , style=", Saints
47–10 , Saints
32–29 , In New Orleans, Saints record their largest victory over the Panthers with a 37–point differential and score their most points in a game against the Panthers. , - , - , Regular season , style=", , Tie 15–15 , Saints 16–14 , Panthers are 1–0 at Tiger Stadium in

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

(

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

), accounted as a Saints' home game. , - , Postseason , style=", Saints 1–0 , ''no games'' , Saints 1–0 , NFC Wild Card:

, - , Regular and postseason , style=", , Tie 15–15 , Saints 17–14 , , -

Background

1995–2001: NFC West rivals

2002–2010: Joining the NFC South and arrival of Drew Brees

2011–2017: Cam Newton in Carolina and playoff matchup

2018–2021: Final seasons of Brees and Newton

Season-by-season results

See also

Notes

References

Further reading