Carolina Panthers vs. New Orleans Saints: 2024 Week 1 Recap

Game story

In Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season on 2024-09-08, the New Orleans Saints took care of business against the Carolina Panthers, pulling away with a 47–10 final that controlled the game from start to finish.

The highest-scoring period was Q2 with 19 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.

B. Young (Carolina Panthers) paced the passing game, with -13.48 total EPA, and -15.3% completion percentage over expected.

On the individual side, D. Carr (New Orleans Saints) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +10.11 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.

The momentum swing (+15.2% win probability) landed in the opening quarter when New Orleans Saints changed the game: (12:16) (Shotgun) 4-D.Carr pass deep middle to 22-R.Shaheed for 59 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Line score

Final score and points by quarter.

Stars of the game

Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.

1. 1 D. Carr · New Orleans Saints · Passing · +10.11 total EPA · 27 snaps · +0.37 EPA/play
2. 2 A. Thielen · Carolina Panthers · Receiving · +4.64 total EPA · 4 snaps · +1.16 EPA/play
3. 3 A. Kamara · New Orleans Saints · Rushing · +4.47 total EPA · 16 snaps · +0.28 EPA/play
4. 4 F. Moreau · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +3.22 total EPA · 4 snaps · +0.80 EPA/play
5. 5 T. Hill · New Orleans Saints · Rushing · +3.04 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.61 EPA/play
6. 6 R. Shaheed · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +2.95 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.59 EPA/play
7. 7 J. Johnson · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +2.46 total EPA · 3 snaps · +0.82 EPA/play
8. 8 Ja. Williams · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +1.36 total EPA · 1 snaps · +1.36 EPA/play

Player of the game

FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.

Who scored touchdowns and field goals

Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.

Touchdowns

• New Orleans Saints — R. Shaheed (D. Carr pass) (Q1 57:16)
• New Orleans Saints — F. Moreau (D. Carr pass) (Q1 46:32)
• New Orleans Saints — J. Johnson (D. Carr pass) (Q2 31:24)
• New Orleans Saints — A. Kamara (Q3 23:30)
• Carolina Panthers — B. Young (Q3 20:00)
• New Orleans Saints — unlisted player (Q4 10:43)

Field goals

• New Orleans Saints — B. Grupe (Q1 55:09)
• New Orleans Saints — B. Grupe (Q2 37:08)
• New Orleans Saints — B. Grupe (Q2 32:12)
• New Orleans Saints — B. Grupe (Q2 32:08)
• Carolina Panthers — E. Pineiro (Q2 30:03)
• New Orleans Saints — B. Grupe (Q4 13:12)

How it unfolded, quarter by quarter

A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.

The opening quarter: New Orleans Saints won the period 17–0. New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the CAR 59 (Q1 57:16) — (12:16) (Shotgun) 4-D.Carr pass deep middle to 22-R.Shaheed for 59 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New Orleans Saints added 1 points from the CAR 15 (Q1 57:08) — 19-B.Grupe extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-43-M.Hayball.; New Orleans Saints connected on a field goal from the CAR 39 (Q1 55:09) — (10:09) 19-B.Grupe 57 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-43-M.Hayball.; New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the CAR 3 (Q1 46:32) — (1:32) 4-D.Carr pass short middle to 87-F.Moreau for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New Orleans Saints added 1 points from the CAR 15 (Q1 46:23) — 19-B.Grupe extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-43-M.Hayball..

The second quarter: New Orleans Saints won the period 16–3. New Orleans Saints connected on a field goal from the CAR 26 (Q2 37:08) — (7:08) 19-B.Grupe 44 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-43-M.Hayball.; New Orleans Saints connected on a field goal from the CAR 34 (Q2 32:12) — (2:12) 19-B.Grupe 52 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-43-M.Hayball.; New Orleans Saints connected on a field goal from the NO 35 (Q2 32:08); New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the CAR 16 (Q2 31:24) — (1:24) (Shotgun) 4-D.Carr pass deep right to 83-J.Johnson for 16 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New Orleans Saints added 1 points from the CAR 15 (Q2 31:18) — 19-B.Grupe extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-43-M.Hayball.; Carolina Panthers connected on a field goal from the NO 25 (Q2 30:03) — (:03) 4-E.Pineiro 43 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-10-J.Hekker..

The third quarter: The quarter finished even at 7–7. New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the CAR 1 (Q3 23:30) — (8:30) 41-A.Kamara left guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.; New Orleans Saints added 1 points from the CAR 15 (Q3 23:27) — 19-B.Grupe extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-43-M.Hayball.; Carolina Panthers found the end zone from the NO 3 (Q3 20:00); Carolina Panthers added 1 points from the NO 15 (Q3 19:55) — 4-E.Pineiro extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-10-J.Hekker..

The fourth quarter: New Orleans Saints won the period 10–0. New Orleans Saints connected on a field goal from the CAR 21 (Q4 13:12) — (13:12) 19-B.Grupe 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-43-M.Hayball.; New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the CAR 14 (Q4 10:43) — (10:43) 21-Ja.Williams left end for 14 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New Orleans Saints added 1 points from the CAR 15 (Q4 10:38) — 19-B.Grupe extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-43-M.Hayball..

Turning points

Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.

• New Orleans Saints (Q1 57:16) — (12:16) (Shotgun) 4-D.Carr pass deep middle to 22-R.Shaheed for 59 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA +15.2% · EPA +5.36]
• Carolina Panthers (Q1 57:02) — (12:02) 9-B.Young pass deep middle intended for 5-Dio.Johnson INTERCEPTED by 5-W.Harris at CAR 47. 5-W.Harris to CAR 40 for 7 yards (50-R.Hunt). [WPA -6.8% · EPA -5.05]
• Carolina Panthers (Q2 36:15) — (6:15) 15-J.Mingo left end to CAR 40 for 3 yards (32-T.Mathieu). FUMBLES (32-T.Mathieu), touched at CAR 44, RECOVERED by NO-32-T.Mathieu at CAR 43. [WPA -4.8% · EPA -4.80]
• New Orleans Saints (Q1 55:09) — (10:09) 19-B.Grupe 57 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-43-M.Hayball. [WPA +3.6% · EPA +2.46]
• New Orleans Saints (Q1 59:54) — (14:54) (Shotgun) 41-A.Kamara right end to NO 33 for 9 yards (13-T.Hill; 94-A.Robinson). [WPA +3.5% · EPA +1.04]

Impact plays

Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.

• New Orleans Saints (Q1 57:16) — (12:16) (Shotgun) 4-D.Carr pass deep middle to 22-R.Shaheed for 59 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA +15.2% · EPA +5.36]
• Carolina Panthers (Q1 57:02) — (12:02) 9-B.Young pass deep middle intended for 5-Dio.Johnson INTERCEPTED by 5-W.Harris at CAR 47. 5-W.Harris to CAR 40 for 7 yards (50-R.Hunt). [WPA -6.8% · EPA -5.05]
• Carolina Panthers (Q2 36:15) — (6:15) 15-J.Mingo left end to CAR 40 for 3 yards (32-T.Mathieu). FUMBLES (32-T.Mathieu), touched at CAR 44, RECOVERED by NO-32-T.Mathieu at CAR 43. [WPA -4.8% · EPA -4.80]
• Carolina Panthers (Q3 20:00) — (5:00) (Shotgun) 9-B.Young scrambles up the middle to NO 1 for 2 yards (29-P.Adebo). FUMBLES (29-P.Adebo), recovered by CAR-15-J.Mingo at NO 1. The Replay Official reviewed the short of the goal line [WPA -0.1% · EPA +4.01]

Quarterback report card

B.Young led all passers in efficiency for Carolina Panthers, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.

• B.Young (Carolina Panthers) · 41 dropbacks · 31.7% completion · -15.3% CPOE · -0.33 EPA/play · -13.48 total EPA
• D.Carr (New Orleans Saints) · 27 dropbacks · 70.4% completion · +13.7% CPOE · +0.37 EPA/play · +10.11 total EPA

Team stats comparison

Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.

By the numbers

New Orleans Saints held the efficiency edge in offensive EPA per play (+0.20 vs -0.38), even if the scoreboard told a different story.

• Carolina Panthers: 13 drives, -29.24 total EPA, 2 scoring drives
• New Orleans Saints: 11 drives, +15.93 total EPA, 9 scoring drives

Key takeaways

What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.

• New Orleans Saints leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
• D. Carr (New Orleans Saints) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
• B. Young (CAR) finished below expected efficiency — volume may have masked accuracy issues.
• D. Carr (NO) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.

Every scoring play

Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.

1. New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q1 57:16 · CAR 59 · Score 0-6
   (12:16) (Shotgun) 4-D.Carr pass deep middle to 22-R.Shaheed for 59 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
2. New Orleans Saints XP (+1) — Q1 57:08 · CAR 15 · Score 0-7
   19-B.Grupe extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-43-M.Hayball.
3. New Orleans Saints FG (+3) — Q1 55:09 · CAR 39 · Score 0-10
   (10:09) 19-B.Grupe 57 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-43-M.Hayball.
4. New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q1 46:32 · CAR 3 · Score 0-16
   (1:32) 4-D.Carr pass short middle to 87-F.Moreau for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
5. New Orleans Saints XP (+1) — Q1 46:23 · CAR 15 · Score 0-17
   19-B.Grupe extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-43-M.Hayball.
6. New Orleans Saints FG (+3) — Q2 37:08 · CAR 26 · Score 0-20
   (7:08) 19-B.Grupe 44 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-43-M.Hayball.
7. New Orleans Saints FG (+3) — Q2 32:12 · CAR 34 · Score 0-23
   (2:12) 19-B.Grupe 52 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-43-M.Hayball.
8. New Orleans Saints FG (+3) — Q2 32:08 · NO 35 · Score 0-23
   19-B.Grupe kicks 64 yards from NO 35 to CAR 1. 3-R.Blackshear to CAR 27 for 26 yards (55-I.Foskey). PENALTY on CAR-56-T.Wallace, Offensive Holding, 10 yards, en
9. New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q2 31:24 · CAR 16 · Score 0-29
   (1:24) (Shotgun) 4-D.Carr pass deep right to 83-J.Johnson for 16 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
10. New Orleans Saints XP (+1) — Q2 31:18 · CAR 15 · Score 0-30
    19-B.Grupe extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-43-M.Hayball.
11. Carolina Panthers FG (+3) — Q2 30:03 · NO 25 · Score 3-30
    (:03) 4-E.Pineiro 43 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-10-J.Hekker.
12. New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q3 23:30 · CAR 1 · Score 3-36
    (8:30) 41-A.Kamara left guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
13. New Orleans Saints XP (+1) — Q3 23:27 · CAR 15 · Score 3-37
    19-B.Grupe extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-43-M.Hayball.
14. Carolina Panthers TD (+6) — Q3 20:00 · NO 3 · Score 9-37
    (5:00) (Shotgun) 9-B.Young scrambles up the middle to NO 1 for 2 yards (29-P.Adebo). FUMBLES (29-P.Adebo), recovered by CAR-15-J.Mingo at NO 1. The Replay Offic
15. Carolina Panthers XP (+1) — Q3 19:55 · NO 15 · Score 10-37
    4-E.Pineiro extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-10-J.Hekker.
16. New Orleans Saints FG (+3) — Q4 13:12 · CAR 21 · Score 10-40
    (13:12) 19-B.Grupe 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-43-M.Hayball.
17. New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q4 10:43 · CAR 14 · Score 10-46
    (10:43) 21-Ja.Williams left end for 14 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
18. New Orleans Saints XP (+1) — Q4 10:38 · CAR 15 · Score 10-47
    19-B.Grupe extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-43-M.Hayball.