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Jaycee Horn has another forgettable outing vs. Saints’ WR Chris Olave

The Carolina Panthers’ talented cornerback has had his issues with the Saints’ top wide receiver this season, and that proved costly on Sunday at the Superdome.
Russell Baxter|
Dec 14, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (12) scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images
Dec 14, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (12) scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers had plenty to play for on Sunday in the Big Easy. The defending NFC South champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead on Thursday night at Raymond James Stadium in a 29-28 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. It dropped the Bucs’ record to 7-7. Dave Canales’s 7-6 team faced the Saints on Sunday with a chance to go a full game up on the Buccaneers.

Of course, the Panthers came up short on Sunday against a Saints’ team that has been busy playing spoiler in the division in recent weeks. Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough helped his team rally from a 17-7 third-quarter deficit for a 20-17 victory.

He got a lot of help from talented wideout Chris Olave, who finished the game with six catches for 85 yards and a touchdown. In the fourth quarter alone, he totaled five receptions for 78 yards, and his 12-yard TD grab with 2:29 to play came at the expense of Panthers’ cornerback Jaycee Horn.

Of course, it’s not the first time that Carolina’s 2024 Pro Bowl defender has been scorched by the 11th overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft this season. Back in Week 10 at Charlotte, Olave streaked down the right sideline in the second quarter, and he and rookie quarterback Tyler Shough teamed for a 62-yard touchdown.

In 14 games this season, Olave has totaled 82 catches for 896 yards and a career-best six touchdown receptions. In two games vs. the Panthers in 2025, the four-year pro has been targeted 17 times and has a combined 11 catches for 189 yards and a pair of scores. In eight career outings vs. Carolina, he’s amassed 38 catches for 534 yards and four touchdowns. Those are telling numbers in this series, and his performance in two wins over the Panthers this season were certainly significant.

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Russell Baxter
RUSSELL BAXTER

Russell S. Baxter has been writing and researching the game of football for more than 40 years, and on numerous platforms. That includes television, as he spent more than two decades at ESPN, and was part of shows that garnered five Emmy Awards. He also spent the 2015 NFL season with Thursday Night Football on CBS/NFLN.