Quick answer
- Winner
- New Orleans Saints
- Final score
- New Orleans Saints 31–26 Carolina Panthers
- Halftime
- Carolina Panthers 9–21 New Orleans Saints at halftime
- FantasyHQ MVP
- D. Brees
- Top passer
- C. Newton
- Biggest EPA play
- (1:58) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep right to 19-T.Ginn for 80 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 41, …
- Game date
- 2018-01-07
Game summary
The New Orleans Saints beat the Carolina Panthers 31–26 on 2018-01-07. D. Brees posted a game-high +16.70 total EPA in the passing.
The highest-scoring period was Q2 with 23 combined points.
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Carolina Panthers | 0 | 9 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 26 |
 New Orleans Saints | 7 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
Scoring Map
Each pin marks where a score occurred on the field — yard line from play-by-play.
CARCarolina Panthers(1:58) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep right to 19-T.Ginn for 80 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 41, YAC 39
3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
(14:15) 9-G.Gano 27 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-5-M.Palardy.
(9:09) 61-J.LeRibeus reported in as eligible. 9-D.Brees pass short left to 89-J.Hill for 9 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 9, YAC 0
3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
(2:51) 9-G.Gano 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-5-M.Palardy.
(:46) 61-J.LeRibeus reported in as eligible. 42-Z.Line right guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
(:03) 9-G.Gano 58 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-5-M.Palardy.
(11:01) 9-G.Gano 29 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-5-M.Palardy.
(6:09) 3-W.Lutz 57 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
(12:52) (Shotgun) 1-C.Newton pass short right to 88-G.Olsen for 14 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
9-G.Gano extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-5-M.Palardy.
(5:12) 61-J.LeRibeus reported in as eligible. 41-A.Kamara right guard for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN. NO-65-S.Kelemete was injured during the play. His return is Probable.
3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
(4:20) (Shotgun) 1-C.Newton pass short right to 22-C.McCaffrey for 56 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 6, YAC 50
9-G.Gano extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-5-M.Palardy.
NONew Orleans SaintsFantasyHQ Analytics
Scoring timeline
Chronological scoring plays — scroll to follow the game.
- NONew Orleans Saints
Q1 1:58TD TGT. GinnPoints+6
- Yard line
- CAR 80
- Score
- 0-6
(1:58) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep right to 19-T.Ginn for 80 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 41, YAC 39
- NONew Orleans Saints
Q1 1:46XP Wil LutzPoints+1
- Yard line
- CAR 15
- Score
- 0-7
3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
- CARCarolina Panthers
Q2 14:15FG Graham GanoPoints+3
- Yard line
- NO 9
- Score
- 3-7
(14:15) 9-G.Gano 27 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-5-M.Palardy.
- NONew Orleans Saints
Q2 9:09TD Julian HillPoints+6
- Yard line
- CAR 9
- Score
- 3-13
(9:09) 61-J.LeRibeus reported in as eligible. 9-D.Brees pass short left to 89-J.Hill for 9 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 9, YAC 0
- NONew Orleans Saints
Q2 9:04XP Wil LutzPoints+1
- Yard line
- CAR 15
- Score
- 3-14
3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
- CARCarolina Panthers
Q2 2:51FG Graham GanoPoints+3
- Yard line
- NO 21
- Score
- 6-14
(2:51) 9-G.Gano 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-5-M.Palardy.
- NONew Orleans Saints
Q2 0:46TD ZLZ. LinePoints+6
- Yard line
- CAR 1
- Score
- 6-20
(:46) 61-J.LeRibeus reported in as eligible. 42-Z.Line right guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
- NONew Orleans Saints
Q2 0:43XP Wil LutzPoints+1
- Yard line
- CAR 15
- Score
- 6-21
3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
- CARCarolina Panthers
Q2 0:03FG Graham GanoPoints+3
- Yard line
- NO 40
- Score
- 9-21
(:03) 9-G.Gano 58 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-5-M.Palardy.
- CARCarolina Panthers
Q3 11:01FG Graham GanoPoints+3
- Yard line
- NO 11
- Score
- 12-21
(11:01) 9-G.Gano 29 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-5-M.Palardy.
- NONew Orleans Saints
Q3 6:09FG Wil LutzPoints+3
- Yard line
- CAR 39
- Score
- 12-24
(6:09) 3-W.Lutz 57 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
- CARCarolina Panthers
Q4 12:52TD GOG. OlsenPoints+6
- Yard line
- NO 14
- Score
- 18-24
(12:52) (Shotgun) 1-C.Newton pass short right to 88-G.Olsen for 14 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- CARCarolina Panthers
Q4 12:47XP Graham GanoPoints+1
- Yard line
- NO 15
- Score
- 19-24
9-G.Gano extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-5-M.Palardy.
- NONew Orleans Saints
Q4 5:12TD Alvin KamaraPoints+6
- Yard line
- CAR 2
- Score
- 19-30
(5:12) 61-J.LeRibeus reported in as eligible. 41-A.Kamara right guard for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN. NO-65-S.Kelemete was injured during the play. His return is Probable.
- NONew Orleans Saints
Q4 5:08XP Wil LutzPoints+1
- Yard line
- CAR 15
- Score
- 19-31
3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
- CARCarolina Panthers
Q4 4:20TD Christian McCaffreyPoints+6
- Yard line
- NO 56
- Score
- 25-31
(4:20) (Shotgun) 1-C.Newton pass short right to 22-C.McCaffrey for 56 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 6, YAC 50
- CARCarolina Panthers
Q4 4:09XP Graham GanoPoints+1
- Yard line
- NO 15
- Score
- 26-31
9-G.Gano extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-5-M.Palardy.
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA).
- 1D. Brees · New Orleans Saints · Passing · +16.70 total EPA · 35 snaps · +0.48 EPA/play
- 2C. Newton · Carolina Panthers · Passing · +14.03 total EPA · 49 snaps · +0.29 EPA/play
- 3Michael Thomas · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +9.07 total EPA · 9 snaps · +1.01 EPA/play
- 4G. Olsen · Carolina Panthers · Receiving · +8.20 total EPA · 12 snaps · +0.68 EPA/play
- 5T. Ginn · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +8.04 total EPA · 6 snaps · +1.34 EPA/play
- 6Christian McCaffrey · Carolina Panthers · Receiving · +6.39 total EPA · 8 snaps · +0.80 EPA/play
- 7
Brandon Coleman · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +3.23 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.65 EPA/play - 8Julian Hill · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +2.77 total EPA · 4 snaps · +0.69 EPA/play
FantasyHQ Game MVP
Highest total EPA with the player's top snap and the game's biggest single play when different.
FantasyHQ Game MVP
D. Brees — NO · Passing
D. Brees posted the highest total EPA (+16.70) in the game, the strongest overall impact for New Orleans Saints. Across 35 counted snaps, they averaged +0.48 EPA per play.
D. Brees's top snap (+6.19 EPA): (1:58) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep right to 19-T.Ginn for 80 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 41, YAC 39
Quarterback report card
C. Newton led all passers in efficiency for Carolina Panthers, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- C. Newton (Carolina Panthers) · 49 dropbacks · 49.0% completion · +1.0% CPOE · +0.29 EPA/play · +14.03 total EPA
- D. Brees (New Orleans Saints) · 35 dropbacks · 65.7% completion · +14.5% CPOE · +0.48 EPA/play · +16.70 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency.
| Stat | Carolina Panthers | New Orleans Saints |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | +0.092 | +0.137 |
| Offensive success rate | 39.1% | 47.9% |
| Pass EPA/play | +0.263 | +0.477 |
| Rush EPA/play | -0.138 | -0.369 |
| Defensive EPA/play | -0.137 | -0.092 |
| Defensive success rate | 52.1% | 60.9% |
Drive & efficiency notes
Both offenses finished within striking distance on EPA per play (Carolina Panthers +0.09, New Orleans Saints +0.14) — a true toss-up on the analytics sheet.
Season benchmark context (offensive EPA per play):
- Carolina Panthers: +0.09 EPA/play (78th percentile vs. 2017 team-game averages)
- New Orleans Saints: +0.14 EPA/play (85th percentile vs. 2017 team-game averages)
- Carolina Panthers: 11 drives, +8.47 total EPA, 6 scoring drives
- New Orleans Saints: 11 drives, +9.99 total EPA, 5 scoring drives
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal from official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- New Orleans Saints — T. Ginn (D. Brees pass)
- New Orleans Saints — Julian Hill (D. Brees pass)
- New Orleans Saints — Z. Line
- Carolina Panthers — G. Olsen (C. Newton pass)
- New Orleans Saints — Alvin Kamara
- Carolina Panthers — Christian McCaffrey (C. Newton pass)
Field goals
- Carolina Panthers — Graham Gano
- Carolina Panthers — Graham Gano
- Carolina Panthers — Graham Gano
- Carolina Panthers — Graham Gano
- New Orleans Saints — Wil Lutz
Quarter by quarter
Quarter-by-quarter recap from live scoring plays.
The opening quarter: New Orleans Saints won the period 7–0. New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the CAR 80 (Q1 1:58) — (1:58) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep right to 19-T.Ginn for 80 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 41, YAC 39; New Orleans Saints added 1 points from the CAR 15 (Q1 1:46) — 3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead..
The second quarter: New Orleans Saints won the period 14–9. Carolina Panthers connected on a field goal from the NO 9 (Q2 14:15) — (14:15) 9-G.Gano 27 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-5-M.Palardy.; New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the CAR 9 (Q2 9:09) — (9:09) 61-J.LeRibeus reported in as eligible. 9-D.Brees pass short left to 89-J.Hill for 9 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 9, YAC 0; New Orleans Saints added 1 points from the CAR 15 (Q2 9:04) — 3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.; Carolina Panthers connected on a field goal from the NO 21 (Q2 2:51) — (2:51) 9-G.Gano 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-5-M.Palardy.; New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the CAR 1 (Q2 0:46) — (:46) 61-J.LeRibeus reported in as eligible. 42-Z.Line right guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.; New Orleans Saints added 1 points from the CAR 15 (Q2 0:43) — 3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.; Carolina Panthers connected on a field goal from the NO 40 (Q2 0:03) — (:03) 9-G.Gano 58 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-5-M.Palardy..
The third quarter: The quarter finished even at 3–3. Carolina Panthers connected on a field goal from the NO 11 (Q3 11:01) — (11:01) 9-G.Gano 29 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-5-M.Palardy.; New Orleans Saints connected on a field goal from the CAR 39 (Q3 6:09) — (6:09) 3-W.Lutz 57 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead..
The fourth quarter: Carolina Panthers won the period 14–7. Carolina Panthers found the end zone from the NO 14 (Q4 12:52) — (12:52) (Shotgun) 1-C.Newton pass short right to 88-G.Olsen for 14 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Carolina Panthers added 1 points from the NO 15 (Q4 12:47) — 9-G.Gano extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-5-M.Palardy.; New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the CAR 2 (Q4 5:12); New Orleans Saints added 1 points from the CAR 15 (Q4 5:08) — 3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.; Carolina Panthers found the end zone from the NO 56 (Q4 4:20) — (4:20) (Shotgun) 1-C.Newton pass short right to 22-C.McCaffrey for 56 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 6, YAC 50; Carolina Panthers added 1 points from the NO 15 (Q4 4:09) — 9-G.Gano extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-5-M.Palardy..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most.
- Carolina Panthers (Q4 0:41) — (:41) (Shotgun) 1-C.Newton pass incomplete short right [94-C.Jordan]. PENALTY on CAR-1-C.Newton, Intentional Grounding, 13 yards, enforced at NO 21.
- New Orleans Saints (Q1 1:58) — (1:58) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep right to 19-T.Ginn for 80 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 41, YAC 39
- New Orleans Saints (Q4 2:00) — (2:00) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep right intended for 41-A.Kamara INTERCEPTED by 29-M.Adams [98-S.Lotulelei] at CAR 30. 29-M.Adams to CAR 31 for 1 yard (41-A.Kamara). FUMBLES (41-A.Kamara), ball out
- Carolina Panthers (Q4 0:11) — (:11) (Shotgun) 1-C.Newton sacked at CAR 49 for -17 yards (48-V.Bell).
- Carolina Panthers (Q1 2:07) — (2:07) 9-G.Gano 25 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-5-M.Palardy.
Impact plays
Highest EPA snaps that flipped field position.
- New Orleans Saints (Q1 1:58) — (1:58) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep right to 19-T.Ginn for 80 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 41, YAC 39
- Carolina Panthers (Q4 4:20) — (4:20) (Shotgun) 1-C.Newton pass short right to 22-C.McCaffrey for 56 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 6, YAC 50
- Carolina Panthers (Q1 2:07) — (2:07) 9-G.Gano 25 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-5-M.Palardy.
- New Orleans Saints (Q3 6:16) — (6:16) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass incomplete short left [59-L.Kuechly]. Penalty on NO-71-R.Ramczyk, Offensive Holding, declined. PENALTY on NO-9-D.Brees, Intentional Grounding, 17 yards, enforced at CAR
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with play-by-play context.
- New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q1 1:58 · CAR 80 · Score 0-6
(1:58) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep right to 19-T.Ginn for 80 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 41, YAC 39 - New Orleans Saints XP (+1) — Q1 1:46 · CAR 15 · Score 0-7
3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead. - Carolina Panthers FG (+3) — Q2 14:15 · NO 9 · Score 3-7
(14:15) 9-G.Gano 27 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-5-M.Palardy. - New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q2 9:09 · CAR 9 · Score 3-13
(9:09) 61-J.LeRibeus reported in as eligible. 9-D.Brees pass short left to 89-J.Hill for 9 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 9, YAC 0 - New Orleans Saints XP (+1) — Q2 9:04 · CAR 15 · Score 3-14
3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead. - Carolina Panthers FG (+3) — Q2 2:51 · NO 21 · Score 6-14
(2:51) 9-G.Gano 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-5-M.Palardy. - New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q2 0:46 · CAR 1 · Score 6-20
(:46) 61-J.LeRibeus reported in as eligible. 42-Z.Line right guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. - New Orleans Saints XP (+1) — Q2 0:43 · CAR 15 · Score 6-21
3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead. - Carolina Panthers FG (+3) — Q2 0:03 · NO 40 · Score 9-21
(:03) 9-G.Gano 58 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-5-M.Palardy. - Carolina Panthers FG (+3) — Q3 11:01 · NO 11 · Score 12-21
(11:01) 9-G.Gano 29 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-5-M.Palardy. - New Orleans Saints FG (+3) — Q3 6:09 · CAR 39 · Score 12-24
(6:09) 3-W.Lutz 57 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead. - Carolina Panthers TD (+6) — Q4 12:52 · NO 14 · Score 18-24
(12:52) (Shotgun) 1-C.Newton pass short right to 88-G.Olsen for 14 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Carolina Panthers XP (+1) — Q4 12:47 · NO 15 · Score 19-24
9-G.Gano extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-5-M.Palardy. - New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q4 5:12 · CAR 2 · Score 19-30
(5:12) 61-J.LeRibeus reported in as eligible. 41-A.Kamara right guard for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN. NO-65-S.Kelemete was injured during the play. His return is Probable. - New Orleans Saints XP (+1) — Q4 5:08 · CAR 15 · Score 19-31
3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead. - Carolina Panthers TD (+6) — Q4 4:20 · NO 56 · Score 25-31
(4:20) (Shotgun) 1-C.Newton pass short right to 22-C.McCaffrey for 56 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 6, YAC 50 - Carolina Panthers XP (+1) — Q4 4:09 · NO 15 · Score 26-31
9-G.Gano extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-5-M.Palardy.
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research and follow-up box score digging.
- New Orleans Saints earned the result — use the box score for snap-level context.
- One-score margin — verify garbage-time stats before drawing fantasy conclusions.
- D. Brees (New Orleans Saints) led total EPA — start here for highlight and prop research.
- D. Brees (NO) finished above expected through the air (positive CPOE).
Frequently asked questions
Who won Carolina Panthers vs New Orleans Saints on 2018-01-07?
The New Orleans Saints beat the Carolina Panthers 31-26 in Week 18, 2017.
What was the score by quarter in Carolina Panthers vs New Orleans Saints?
Q1: Carolina Panthers 0, New Orleans Saints 7; Q2: Carolina Panthers 9, New Orleans Saints 14; Q3: Carolina Panthers 3, New Orleans Saints 3; Q4: Carolina Panthers 14, New Orleans Saints 7; Final: Carolina Panthers 26, New Orleans Saints 31.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Carolina Panthers vs New Orleans Saints?
New Orleans Saints touchdown — T. Ginn (D. Brees pass) (Q1 1:58) New Orleans Saints touchdown — J. Hill (D. Brees pass) (Q2 9:09) New Orleans Saints touchdown — Z. Line (Q2 0:46) Carolina Panthers touchdown — G. Olsen (C. Newton pass) (Q4 12:52) New Orleans Saints touchdown — A. Kamara (Q4 5:12) Carolina Panthers touchdown — C. McCaffrey (C. Newton pass) (Q4 4:20) Carolina Panthers field goal — G. Gano (Q2 14:15, 3 pts) Carolina Panthers field goal — G. Gano (Q2 2:51, 3 pts) Carolina Panthers field goal — G. Gano (Q2 0:03, 3 pts) Carolina Panthers field goal — G. Gano (Q3 11:01, 3 pts) New Orleans Saints field goal — W. Lutz (Q3 6:09, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in Carolina Panthers vs New Orleans Saints?
C. Newton (Carolina Panthers), 49.0% completion, +1.0% CPOE, +0.29 EPA per dropback, +14.03 total passing EPA. D. Brees (New Orleans Saints), 65.7% completion, +14.5% CPOE, +0.48 EPA per dropback, +16.70 total passing EPA.
Who was FantasyHQ's player of the game in Carolina Panthers vs New Orleans Saints?
D. Brees (New Orleans Saints) was FantasyHQ's Game MVP with +16.70 total EPA on Passing plays. across 35 snaps. Their top snap (+6.19 EPA): (1:58) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep right to 19-T.Ginn for 80 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 41, YAC 39.
Was Carolina Panthers vs New Orleans Saints a close game?
Yes — the margin was 5 points. New Orleans Saints won 31-26 in a game that stayed within one score into the fourth quarter.
Season records after this game
Carolina Panthers
Entered 11-5 Now 11-6 L
New Orleans Saints
Entered 11-5 Now 12-5 W
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