Carolina Panthers major takeaways from embarrassing loss to Saints

The Carolina Panthers cannot ever get out of their own way. It is inexcusable that they lost to the New Orleans Saints twice, especially now after a bye with a chance to literally take control of the NFC South. Based on this display, a division title would be wholly undeserved.

Ugly penalties hurt all day

On offense and defense, the penalties were downright disheartening. The defense, in particular, really struggled, committing multiple penalties on a lengthy down and distance, helping bail out the Saints. A few of them were certainly questionable, but the Panthers consistently got in their own way. That includes setting up a game-winning field goal and being offsides on two field goals.

Lathan Ransom needs to sit down for a long time

Speaking of penalties, a bad one ended the contest with a stupid penalty. On a draw play, Lathan Ransom hit Tyler Shough late and gave the Saints their game-winning field goal attempt. Otherwise, they'd have had no time and a field goal of 60+. He should not see the field again for a long time.

Run game was pretty disappointing

Whether it's because the Saints again stepped up to stop them, the running game was uninspiring. Chuba Hubbard made some plays in the passing game, but neither back was particularly effective all day long.

Bryce Young was clutch

More often than not, the offensive success was just Bryce Young making magic. He made huge plays scrambling, some excellent throws on late downs, and just was generally able to make the plays when necessary. Even the beatiful touchdown to Coker on second down came after a brutal penalty.

The Panthers need more pass rushing

Even though the defense did record a few sacks, it was otherwise famine for the pass rush. Nic Scourton, DJ Wonnum, and others struggled to make impact plays off the edge, and that's been a recurring issue. A better offense with more healthy playmakers would've taken full advantage of that.

Tetairoa McMillan was a nonfactor

Tetairoa McMillan was largely a nonfactor today, marking a concerning trend for this offense. He caught a long pass on a scramble drill, dropped a would-be TD after a brilliant defensive play, and was basically silent otherwise.

The Panthers played down to their competition again

The Panthers tend to play down to their opponents' level, and they did it again today. There's no reason a team off a bye that beat the Los Angeles Rams in Week 13 should've had this big of a struggle (their second struggle against the lowly Saints) today.

The zone defense had problems

Although the defense had a pretty solid day, the zone defense got ripped to shreds at key spots. With a seven-point lead and the clock winding below four minutes, the Saints picked apart the zone. It's something that's happened plenty this year, and it's a big concern moving forward.

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