Derek Carr threw two touchdown passes and the New Orleans Saints ended a three-game losing streak with a 28-6 victory over the visiting Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
His touchdown passes came in the fourth quarter, when he threw for 82 of his 119 yards as the Saints (6-7) pulled away late.
The Panthers (1-12) rushed for 204 yards as Chuba Hubbard had 87 yards and Miles Sanders had 74, but Bryce Young completed just 13 of 36 passes for 137 yards.
On their first possession of the third quarter, the Panthers drove to a first and goal at the Saints’ 1-yard line, but after Demario Davis sacked Young, they settled for Eddy Pineiro’s 29-yard field goal that trimmed New Orleans’ lead to 14-6.
Carolina reached the Saints’ 17 on the second play of the fourth quarter, but Carl Granderson sacked Young on third down and Pineiro’s 41-yard field-goal attempt hit the left upright and caromed wide.
The Panthers turned the ball over on downs midway through the fourth quarter when Young threw an incompletion on fourth and 1 at the New Orleans 36.
On the next play, Carr threw a 44-yard completion to A.T. Perry. He converted a third and 9 with a 12-yard completion to Jimmy Graham, and on the next play, Carr threw a 7-yard touchdown to Chris Olave for a 21-6 lead with 5:59 remaining.
Carr and Graham teamed on a 4-yard touchdown pass to complete the scoring with 4:29 left.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Saints’ Alvin Kamara ran 9 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the second quarter.
Young’s scramble for 21 helped put Carolina in position for Pineiro’s 47-yard field goal, which trimmed the lead to 7-3 midway through the second quarter.
Nephi Sewell forced a fumble by Johnny Hekker as he was trying to punt, and D’Marco Jackson recovered and ran 8 yards for a touchdown that increased New Orleans’ lead to 14-3 at halftime.
–Field Level Media
