Poor week of practice led to Panthers’ flop against Saints

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Left tackle Ikem Ekwonu detected early signs during practice that the Carolina Panthers would not perform well on Sunday. There were too many repetitive plays, a lack of focus on the «small details,» and an overall sense of inattentiveness.

This concern was so pronounced that coach Dave Canales addressed the team multiple times regarding their preparation.

The outcome was a disappointing 17-7 defeat against the New Orleans Saints, a team with just one victory in nine attempts. This loss came on the heels of the Panthers (5-5) surprising the Green Bay Packers (5-2-1) at Lambeau Field.

The defeat severely impacts Carolina’s aspirations to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017, not only because it was at home but also due to its significance in the NFC South division. Adding to the disappointment is the fact that the Saints came into the game sharing the worst record in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans.

«You can’t recover days that are lost,» Ekwonu remarked. «A poor Thursday or a challenging Friday can always be overshadowed by looking ahead, but you can’t reclaim that day. The lack of preparation is going to have consequences.»

«Unfortunately, it culminated in what we witnessed,» he added.

Quarterback Bryce Young felt the impact too. His frustration was evident as he acknowledged the offensive disarray during his press conference.

His interception with just over 12 minutes left was a critical error, missing wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan while trailing by three points.

This mistake led directly to a touchdown by New Orleans, marking the beginning of a downward spiral for the Panthers.

Rico Dowdle, who had recently been fined for his celebratory antics, attempted to bring humor to a grim situation but was met with a lackluster game performance.

Zero pumps@BudLight | #ForTheCelly pic.twitter.com/FbIULA84ZJ

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 9, 2025

However, fun quickly evaporated for Carolina, which managed only 128 total yards after a single 67-yard drive.

«Everyone saw the same missed opportunities we did,» Dowdle expressed, noting his role as the third-leading rusher in the league, managing just 53 yards on 18 carries (2.9 YPC) against a struggling rush defense. «Missed chances and a failure to execute were evident.»

Canales took much of the responsibility for the disappointing performance, highlighting the team’s recent struggles in the passing game, especially in terms of completing downfield passes.

«Execution needs to improve, beginning with me to ensure we have effective schemes for our players,» he stated.

Yet, he also commended Young for his efforts, despite acknowledging the quarterback’s interception could have been avoided with better decisions.

Young later reflected on his interception candidly: «It was a bad decision, and I threw a poor pass.»

Canales also tempered his critique of wide receiver Xavier Legette, who failed to make a catch, referring to him as «running fast and doing what we ask,» although Legette has struggled to find the ball, with only three catches for 39 yards over the last three games.

Sunday’s defeat as a 6.3-point favorite means the Panthers have now lost 11 straight times when favored, marking the longest such streak in the Super Bowl era.

Notably, Carolina’s last outing as a favorite ended in Week 15 of 2024 when they fell to the Dallas Cowboys, who were 2.5-point underdogs and won decisively, 30-14.

On a somewhat positive note, Carolina may not be favored in their remaining schedule against teams like the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, and others.

It’s disheartening, however, to think that had they won on Sunday and then followed it up with a victory over Atlanta—a team they’ve already beaten decisively—it would have placed them in a much stronger position at 7-4 for a playoff push.

Young encapsulated the mood, stating, «It’s frustrating right now. It is what it is. We will refocus tomorrow.»

But as Ekwonu pointed out, the team can’t recover from days like Sunday. «Our mindset and preparation weren’t up to par,» he concluded. «That clearly reflected in our performance.»