*Editor's Note: This article was written and published before NFL trade deadline moves changed the landscape of the Saints' offense.

CHARLOTTE — The Panthers are coming back home, above .500 for the first time this late in the season since 2019, and ready to play in front of their home crowd. The Week 10 matchup against the New Orleans Saints will be the Panthers' second divisional game of the season, as they start a sprint of such matchups through the second half of the season.

After notching a 16-13 win against the top-seeded Green Bay Packers on Sunday, the Panthers are 5-4. The Saints are coming off a 34-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, dropping them to 1-8 on the season.

The Panthers are 29-32 all-time against the Saints. Carolina is 15-15 at home and 14-17 on the road. Carolina is 1-0 in overtime against New Orleans.

Get to know the 2025 Saints ahead of Sunday's matchup.

Chase Young's hot start

Young, the sixth-year pass-rusher, was forced to miss the first five games of the season with a calf injury he suffered in practice. Since returning in Week 6, he has been dominant, becoming a bright spot on the Saints' defense, and averaging just under a sack a game, with 3.0 sacks in his four games this season.

Additionally, Young has a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, six quarterback hurries, and three batted passes.

A new starting QB in New Orleans

When the Saints drafted Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough in the second round of this past April's draft, he was thrust into a quarterback competition with second-year passer Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener, following Derek Carr's offseason retirement. Rattler was named the starter and held that position for the first eight weeks of the season.

However, after struggling in a loss to the Buccaneers, Rattler was benched in favor of the rookie, Shough. In his first start Sunday against the Rams, Shough went 15-24 for 176 yards, one interception, and his first career touchdown. Shough has been sacked three times in the last two games. He became the ninth different starting quarterback for the Saints since Drew Brees retired in 2020.

Currently, Shough has two top receivers: Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. Through nine games, Olave has 55 receptions for 560 yards and three touchdowns, while Shaheed has 44 receptions for 499 yards and two touchdowns. Right tackle Taliese Fuaga and tight end Jack Still (three receptions for 28 yards, one touchdown) both suffered high ankle sprains in Sunday's game.

League trends under Moore

Kellen Moore is in his first year as a head coach, coming off a 2024 season in which he won a Super Bowl as the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles. There are a few notable league trends for the Saints this season during their rebuilding era.

The average time of possession for the Saints in a game is 26:38, which is last in the NFL. During the third quarter on Sunday against the Rams, New Orleans only ran three plays, holding the ball for 1:12 during that quarter.

With only 57 yards on the ground against the Rams, the Saints marked their fifth-straight game with less than 100 yards rushing. New Orleans is 27th in the league, averaging 89.6 yards per game.

The offense's 9-8 touchdown-interception ratio is the third-worst in the league, behind just the Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans.

The defense is near the top of the league in fumble recoveries, though, tied for third most in the NFL with six recoveries. Overall, the defense has recorded 10 takeaways, including four interceptions and the six fumbles.