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Rapid Reactions: Panthers ride run game and defense to first place

Ryan Fitzgerald's game-winning 54-yard field goal ended it, on a sloppy day which they will not apologize for, as they sit alone atop the NFC South.

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NEW ORLEANS — It wasn't necessarily pretty, but it probably wasn't going to be.

But at the end of the day, the Panthers got exactly what they needed.

A strong run game, a timely defense, and a game-winning field goal from Ryan Fitzgerald led to a 20-17 win over the Saints, and something that doesn't include style points.

First place in the NFC South.

The Panthers (4-5) broke a three-game losing streak, and a game clear of the division with their first win at the Caesars Superdome since 2022.

Chuba Hubbard has shown he can carry a heavy load, and he did, with 27 carries for 92 yards and five catches for 80 yards.

He also had 29- and 33-yard receptions on what appeared to be a decisive drive, on which he was the only Panthers player to touch the ball (other than center Luke Fortner and Bryce Young, of course).

He capped it with a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:49 left, at which point he had 172 of the team's 283 yards from scrimmage.

But the Saints still had a breath, and drove for a 55-yard field goal by kicker Charlie Smyth, to tie the game with 41 seconds left.

But that left time, and after a long Saints pass interference call, Fitzgerald calmly hit a 54-yarder, his second 50-plus on a day when he missed from 48 yards.

That was enough.

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With Jaelan Phillips returning after a three-game absence with a hamstring injury, the Panthers got pressure throughout the day. Phillips had a sack and a fumble recovery and three tackles for loss in his return.

Of course, his horse-collar tackle penalty put the Saints in position for a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, and their game-tying field goal came after a Tyrel Dodson facemask, continuing an unfortunate trend for the Panthers.

They had a franchise-record 17 penalties for 152 yards.

They obviously need to clean that up, but with the result, in this division, that's a quibble for another day.

Check out some of Sunday's best game action shots as the Panthers take on the Saints in Week 10.

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