The New Orleans Saints play host the Carolina Panthers at 3:25 p.m. on Sunday in an NFC South contest at the Caesars Superdome. This is the place to keep up with the NFL score and live updates.
The Saints (3-1) are looking for their second victory over the Panthers this season after they pulled off the upset 17-7 on the road behind rookie quarterback Tyler Shough on Nov. 9.
The Panthers hold a half-game edge over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South entering the game against the Saints.
You can follow below for the latest from the Superdome.
Live game updates
UPDATED, 5:32 p.m.: For the second time today, Bryce Young buys himself time and makes a completion on the move on a crucial play.
This time, however, the receiver, Jimmy Horn, goes down just shy of the sticks. Fourth-and-inches, and the Panthers are gonna go for it from their own end. Got it on the ground with Dowdle. Just a simple 3-yard dive, but that could be one of the bigger plays of the game.
Then again, the Saints immediately force third-and-9 on the next series. Can they finally get off the field here?
Nope. Chase Young jumps offside, and then Bryce Young makes another play, spinning away from Chase Young and running for the first down. This is — by far and away — the best game Bryce has ever played against the Saints.
UPDATED, 5:26 p.m.: End of the third quarter: Panthers 17, Saints 10.
Carolina has a third-and-8 from its 35-yard line when play resumes. The Saints have struggled on third-down defense, allowing 5 of 8, plus 1 of 1 on fourth down. They’ll need to improve on that to get a comeback win here.
UPDATED, 5:17 p.m.: Saints have to settle for a field goal after reaching the red zone. Bobby Brown and DJ Wonnum with back-to-back sacks of Shough after they had reached the 12.
Smyth’s attempt will be from 42 yards. It’s good, and the Saints cut the lead to 17-10 with 1:56 left in the third.
UPDATED, 5:14 p.m.: Tyler Shough making things happen with his legs, first a run for a first down, then by drawing a personal foul for a late hit after scrambling and sliding on the next play. Of the six officials on the field, five of them threw a flag for that.
Then there’s an unsportsmanlike conduct flag against Kelvin Banks on the next play. He finished a pancake block downfield and kind of stepped over his man. Pretty soft call there, but probably can’t do that.
And then on the NEXT play, it’s pass interference against Horn. These officials sure like to be seen.
The result is a first down for the Saints at the Carolina 25, and then an 11-yard completion to Vele, who’s on his way to a 100-yard day. Saints in the red zone.
UPDATED, 5:09 p.m.: Mason Tipton gets absolutely popped by Mike Jackson on a running play, and the ball pops out, but Dillon Radunz is on the spot for the Saints to recover the fumble.
And Shough takes advantage with a 15-yard strike to Vele on the next snap to convert third-and-13. He’s been really, really good in third-and-long the past couple of weeks, especially in the second half.
It’s Taysom Hill with a QB power for the first down on third-and-1 on the next series, and the Saints are across midfield with about six minutes to play in the quarter.
UPDATED, 5:01 p.m.: Touchdown, Panthers. Bryce Young drops a dime in the bucket to Jalen Coker up the right sideline, and Carolina has scored 10 straight points.
That was a 32-yard completion on second-and-21 after a holding call, so it’s especially painful for the Saints. Riley, after the big play at the end of the half, was the one burned by Coker there.
Carolina leads 17-7 with 9:54 left in the third quarter.
UPDATED, 4:56 p.m.: Second half is under way, with Carolina looking to go back-to-back on scoring possessions, with only the Saints’ kneel-down in between.
Saints immediately force a third-and-7, but Young completes a rainbow to Xavier Legette for 34 yards. Somebody busted a coverage there, and it’s a big gain for the Panthers, who are indeed in line for two straight scores.
Devin Neal has been announced as out for the game. Obviously pulled that hamstring or did something on his touchdown run. Tough break for the rookie, who’s looked good since taking over for Alvin Kamara. It’ll be Audric Estimé and Evan Hull the rest of the way for New Orleans.
UPDATED, 4:49 p.m.: Halftime stats from a slow-paced game that is still perhaps poised to be intriguing in the second half:
TOTAL YARDS: Panthers 152 (78 passing, 74 rushing), Saints 120 (75 passing, 45 rushing)
PASSING: Bryce Young 7/11, 78 yards; Tyler Shough 8/11, 79 yards, 1 sack
RUSHING: Rico Dowdle 8-31, TD; Chuba Hubbard 6-26, Young 2-17; Devin Neal 7-28, TD; Shough 4-8, Audric Estimé 2-7
RECEIVING: Jalen Coker 2-39, Tet McMillan 1-21; Devaughn Vele 3-43, Juwan Johnson 2-18, Chris Olave 1-7, Jack Stoll 1-7
UPDATED, 4:39 p.m.: Halftime: Panthers 10, Saints 7. Saints take a knee to end the half, which seems way too conservative to me. You’re one 20-yard play away from being in range for Charlie Smyth to try a long field goal. What do you have to lose?
At any rate, the Saints had one really long TD drive in that half and not much else. They trail by a field goal.
UPDATED, 4:35 p.m.: A huge rookie-on-rookie play for Quincy Riley. The Saints cornerback breaks up a pass to McMillan right at the goal line. Looked like Young had his man there, but Riley recovered really well.
Instead, it’ll be a 40-yard attempt for Ryan Fitzgerald. It’s good, and the Panthers take a 10-7 lead with 21 seconds left in the half.
UPDATED, 4:33 p.m.: Carolina has all three timeouts remaining and is seeking a two-for-one here, as it gets the ball first in the second half.
That makes this third-and-5 a big play. Panthers are playing it as if it’s four-down territory, and Hubbard gets 2 on a third-down run.
So that makes this fourth-and-3 a REALLY big play. Young will throw, and he rolls out to escape pressure and completes on the run to rookie Tet McMillan. That’s 21 yards and a big play made by the Panthers QB. Inside of a minute to play now with Carolina in field goal range and looking for more.
In other news: Neal is questionable to return with a hamstring injury.
UPDATED, 4:28 p.m.: One sober note after that long drive: Devin Neal went into the injury tent after his TD run, and now is headed to the locker room. We’ll have to keep an eye on that going forward.
There’s suddenly less than four minutes left in the half for the Panthers, who haven’t run an offensive play in the second quarter. Their first is is their longest play of the game, a 24-yard strike from Young to an open Coker that gets them all the way across midfield.
Two plays later, we’ve hit the 2-minute warning with Carolina facing third-and-5 from the Saints 44.
Just your run-of-the-mill 17-play, 95-yard, 11-minute, 22-second drive there. Devin Neal caps it with a 4-yard TD run. We’re tied 7-7.
— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) December 14, 2025
Juwan Johnson, with that crazy catch, just became the third Saints TE to record 60 catches in a season. He joins Jimmy Graham and Ben Watson.
— Rod Walker (@RodWalkerNola) December 14, 2025
UPDATED, 4:23 p.m.: Touchdown, Saints. A 4-yard run TD run from Devin Neal has tied the game, capping a long, eventful drive that covered 17 plays, 95 yards and 11:22 off the clock. It started at the 12 and was 95 yards because of all the penalties — there were seven flags thrown between the teams.
It was set up by a circus catch from Juwan Johnson, who kept his concentration on a deflected pass from Shough inside the 10.
Then, on third-and-1 from the 6-yard line, the Saints lined up for a tush-push, but faked it and handed to Taysom Hill. There was some room for him to dive forward, but he went backward looking for a big hole and ended up losing yardage. The more traditional sneak on fourth down got it done, however, and the Saints were able to do something they’ve struggled with this year — running the ball and scoring inside the 5.
UPDATED, 4:13 p.m.: As they’ve slowly built a little momentum in the second half of the season, one of the Saints’ improvements has been pre-snap penalties. But we’ve seen three of them already today, the latest another false start against Fortner.
Backed up to second-and-13, Shough nearly throws an interception — it’s just too low for the defender but was right at him. But on third down, Shough fires one into Devaughn Vele, a really nice play on both ends, on first down.
There’s a flag down, and it’s roughing the passer. So give the Saints 15 more yards out to their 45.
Another first down on a hands-to-the-face penalty against Bobby Brown. That bails the Saints out of a sequence where there was a sack and a holding call (offset by a Carolina penalty) against Kelvin Banks.
The Panthers are helping the Saints out here, and the drive is nearly to midfield.
UPDATED, 4:07 p.m.: A first quarter with barely four minutes of possession isn’t good, and it’s really not good when you started the game with the ball.
So the Saints offense would love a little more possession on this drive.
They’ll start backed up at their 5-yard line after a great punt from Sam Martin.
A good start, with a first down via a short pass to tight end Jack Stoll and a run from Neal.
UPDATED, 4:01 p.m.: End of the first quarter, still 7-0 Panthers, but the Saints are getting the ball back. The first play of the second quarter will presumably be a Carolina punt on fourth-and-13.
The one difference between the first meeting and this one was that the Saints defense didn’t aid Carolina with penalties on that opening drive. There was a big one early in this drive, a 15-yard illegal block against Jordan Howden.
On the next play, however, Panthers offensive lineman Ikem Ekwonu gets a personal foul for shoving Cam Jordan after Jordan pushed Bryce Young out of bounds.
That’s the kind of mistake this Carolina offense is going to have trouble overcoming, and it’s what ended their second drive.
Disappointed Kellen Moore didn’t let Charlie Smyth attempt the 67-yard FG there.
— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) December 14, 2025
UPDATED, 3:53 p.m.: Good catch in traffic from Juwan Johnson and a ball on the money from Shough to convert third down and give the Saints a much-needed first down on this series. Didn’t want to give the ball back to Carolina that quickly.
But on the next series, a couple of Devin Neal runs don’t get much on second and third downs, and it’s fourth-and-4. Saints are gonna go for it, or at least line up to. Luke Fortner false start, and now it’s Kroeger on to punt.
It’s a fair catch at the 12, and that’s where Carolina will start with a 7-0 lead and 2:45 left in the first quarter.
UPDATED, 3:44 p.m.: Call is upheld, and the Saints lose the challenge. Kellen Moore is now 0 for 4 this year on throwing the red flag. Really didn’t understand that one; it was close, but there certainly wasn’t enough there to overturn it.
Dowdle is back in the game, by the way, but it’s Hubbard who runs for another first down inside the 15. Then Dowdle picks up 8 and gets banged out of bounds by Taylor.
Panthers knocking on the door now. And they’re in. Dowdle pushes forward — and is pushed forward — into the end zone, and just like the first meeting, Carolina has a long touchdown drive to open the day. It’s 7-0 after Ryan Fitzgerald’s extra point.
We’ll see if the Saints defense can buckle up like it did in the first meeting.
UPDATED, 3:38 p.m.: Panthers running back Rico Dowdle, who’s been something of a sensation for the Panthers, picks up 4 yards on his fifth touch of the game already, and he’s come up injured. He walks off under his own power but is straight to the medical tent. Dowdle was Chuba Hubbard’s backup to start the year but had taken over the lead role.
Meanwhile, Young completes to Jalen Coker for another first down on the sideline, but the Saints are challenging the play. Coker tried to tap his toes; it’s hard to tell if he kept them both down before he secured the ball. (It also looked like Alontae Taylor got pushed off first, but there was no flag.)
UPDATED, 3:33 p.m.: The Panthers had a methodical opening touchdown drive in these teams’ first meeting last month, one fueled by short gains and aided greatly by penalties.
Of course, they didn’t score again in that 17-7 Saints victory.
They’re off to a similar start here, getting gains of 3, 5, 4 and 6 on their first four plays.Then a 1-yard loss on a tackle from Chase Young, but quarterback Bryce Young escapes pressure on third-and-5 and scrambles for another first down on a gain of 15.
Panthers into New Orleans territory.
UPDATED, 3:29 p.m.: Carolina wisely kicks away from Mason Tipton on the opening kickoff, and Evan Hull is upended at the 28.
The Saints don’t go far from there. A second-down throw for Tipton is broken up by Jaycee Horn, already making his presence felt in his return from injury, and Tyler Shough’s third-down throw is way off target.
Good punt from Kai Kroeger, 58 yards into the corner, although he outkicked the coverage a bit. Return goes out to the 26, and that’s where Carolina will start.
Pregame updates
UPDATED, 3:24 p.m.: Panthers win the toss and defer. Saints will start with the football.
Porter and Maxie have the Who Dat chant in their Saints Hall of Fame jackets. It’s a small crowd, but seems like a spirited one. Here we go.
All love for Tracy Porter (@lyfeoftp) back in the Dome 🙌 pic.twitter.com/HJrjuMKsBV
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 14, 2025
UPDATED, 3:03 p.m.: The Saints are introducing Brett Maxie and Tracy Porter as the newest members of the team Hall of Fame in a pregame ceremony on the field, with Gayle Benson giving each his Hall of Fame jacket.
Maxie is speaking about his role on the 1987 Saints, the first team in franchise history to record a winning season, and Porter, of course, mentions a certain pick-six that will forever live in Saints lore.
They were each officially inducted on Friday.
UPDATED, 2:44 p.m.: Just to underline the point about the importance of today’s game for the Panthers: The Athletic’s playoff simulator currently gives Carolina a 47% chance to make the playoffs. That rises to 65% with a win today but drops to 23% with a loss. So yeah, massive leverage for the road team.
That’s good experience for the Saints, too, in my opinion. New Orleans’ final three games are already guaranteed to be meaningless in the standings, so this is the last chance of the season for a lot of team’s young players to play a game where you’re getting a playoff-like effort (not sure the atmosphere will exactly match that; we’re about 40 minutes from kickoff and the Superdome is very empty at this point).
Anyway, Carolina is a 2½-point favorite, so it’s expected to be a good one.
UPDATED, 2:09 p.m.: A meaningful game in the Superdome in December? It’s been a while. Unfortunately for the home side, this one isn’t so meaningful for the Saints, but it’s the biggest game the Carolina Panthers have played in years (at least until next week when the Panthers and Bucs play).
If Carolina wins today, it’ll take a one-game lead on Tampa Bay into that showdown next week. If not, the teams will be tied with three games to play, two against each other.
For the Saints, it’s an opportunity to keep building. And frankly, after they did the Panthers a favor by beating the Bucs last week, if they can finish off the season sweep of Carolina today, the Saints may feel like they’re playing the best of anyone in this division after their terrible first half.
At the center of that conversation, of course, is quarterback Tyler Shough, who will make his seventh start today and seek his third win. The first came against the Panthers last month in Charlotte.
He’ll do so without running back Alvin Kamara, who is among the Saints’ inactives today. Also inactive is Justin Reid, the safety who hurt himself in Miami a couple of weeks ago and isn’t quite ready to come back.
On the Carolina side, top cornerback Jaycee Horn is active after battling an injury for the past couple of weeks.
