Scoring Plays:
1Q - CAR - Lirim Hajrullahu 32 yd FG GOOD | CAR 3, NO 0
1Q - NO - Brett Maher 41 yd FG GOOD | CAR 3, NO 3
End of Quarter Score - Carolina Panthers 3, New Orleans Saints 3
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2Q - CAR - Chuba Hubbard 21 yd TD rush (PAT Good) | CAR 10, NO 3
2Q - NO - Brett Maher 27 yd FG GOOD | CAR 10, NO 6
2Q - NO - Brett Maher 41 yd FG GOOD | CAR 10, NO 9
End of Quarter Score - Carolina Panthers 10, New Orleans Saints 9
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3Q - NO - Brett Maher 33 yd FG GOOD | CAR 10, NO 12
End of Quarter Score - Carolina Panthers 10, New Orleans Saints 12
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4Q - NO - Taysom Hill to Alvin Kamara 12 yd TD pass (PAT No Good - Hit Right Upright) | CAR 10, NO 18
Final Score - Carolina Panthers 10, New Orleans Saints 18
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Hello Who Dats & Who Datettes, welcome to the Week 17, game 16 thread - where for the first time in NFL history, the 17th week is NOT the final week of the regular season.

Now that last week's debacle is behind us and we have pretty much everyone who missed last week's game back, and even some who have tested positive for COVID-19 since last week's game, we can now focus on the task at hand, which is trying to win these last 2 games and get into the playoffs.

That task starts today with the revenge game against the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers certainly look like a different team than the one we saw, and lost to, in Carolina way back in week 2. Since then, Sam Darnold has turned back into New York Jets Sam Darnold. Cam Newton was brought back and now they're splitting time. Christian McCaffery continues to be good in games but ends up spending a lot of time with the medics, and a Panther team that had everyone's attention at 3-0 is now poised to finish in the cellar of the NFC South after losing ten of the last 12. Former LSU national championship-winning passing game coordinator Joe Brady has also been fired from his job as Panthers offensive coordinator since these 2 teams last met.

After all the talk of what happened to the Saints last week, as of this writing the Panthers have 9 players on the COVID list, including two centers and the son of former Saints great WR Joe Horn, CB Jaycee Horn. Ryan Ramczyk & Nick Vannett are the only main players still on the COVID list for the Saints as of this writing with Wil Lutz & WR Kevin White also there.

With our version of the Saints @ Broncos 2020 game now behind us, we're two wins away from a potential postseason spot. Let's get that first win today and close out a dismal season inside the Superdome out with a victory.

LET'S CLOSE THE SUPERDOME FOR THIS SEASON RIGHT AND START THE PLAYOFF PUSH TODAY!!!!

Injury Report:
CAR-
Stephon Gilmore - Groin - OUT
Cam Erving - Calf/Personal - DOUBTFUL
Sean Chandler - Groin - DOUBTFUL
CJ Henderson - Shoulder/Knee - QUESTIONABLE
Juston Burris - Groin - QUESTIONABLE
Jermaine Carter - Groin - QUESTIONABLE

NO- (players on IR OR COVID-19 Reserve List are not listed here)
Tre'Quan Smith - Chest - OUT
Terron Armstead - Knee - QUESTIONABLE
Ty Montgomery - Back - QUESTIONABLE
Mark Ingram - Knee - QUESTIONABLE
Bradley Roby - Shoulder - QUESTIONABLE
Carl Granderson - Not Injury Related/Rest/Illness - QUESTIONABLE
Lil'Jordan Humphrey - Illness - QUESTIONABLE

Weather: That cold front that came through was a potent one, but the cooling air outside won't hamper anything inside of the Caesar's Superdome today.

Uniforms: The home finale means the return of the traditional... black jerseys & gold pants for today's game.

Current Standings:
NFC South:
Buccaneers 11-4
Falcons 7-8
Saints 7-8
Panthers 5-10

Betting Lines: Saints (-6.5); O/U 37.5

Want to listen to Mike Hoss, Deuce McAllister, & Steve Geller instead of Brandon Gaudin, Matt Millen, & Sarah Kustok?
Find your local Saints Radio Network affiliate at this link

Today's Officials:
Referee: #23 Jerome Boger

Umpire: #20 Barry Anderson
Down Judge: #44 Frank LeBlanc
Line Judge: #59 Rusty Baynes
Field Judge: #22 Steve Zimmer
Side Judge: #120 Jonah Monroe
Back Judge: #17 Steve Patrick
Replay Official: Ross Smith
Replay Assistant: Gerald Frye
(Jerome Boger was the alternate referee for THAT playoff game at the end of the 2018 season. LJ Rusty Baynes was on the field officiating on that day... though the incident in question was way out of his coverage area.)

Inactive Lists:
CAR-
CB Stephon Gilmore
S Sean Chandler
DE Azur Kamara
T Cameron Erving
G Deonte Brown
DE Austin Larkin

NO-
LT Terron Armstead
QB Ian Book
RB Mark Ingram II
C Erik McCoy
CB Bradley Roby
WR Tre'Quan Smith
S Marcus Williams

This post was edited on 1/2/22 at 10:51 pm