Saints lose to Panthers: 3 things we learned about Saints | Saints

The Saints lost 23-22 to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. It was the seventh defeat of the season in a row. Here are three things we learned after this latest setback.

Low point

If the worst team in the league gives you your seventh straight loss, you become the worst team in the NFL. This is where the Saints are now after losing to the lowly Panthers. Forget all the talk about how this team hasn't given up and still believes they can turn things around. You can't. This latest loss was the nail in the coffin for this season and perhaps the nail in the coffin for Dennis Allen's career as a head coach. That was bad. The 2024 season is over and it's time for the Saints to think about the future.

Carr's return

Derek Carr, who missed the last three games with an oblique injury, should come back and save this season. He didn't. Instead, he completed 18 of 31 passes for 236 yards and didn't shoot many balls downfield at all. Maybe it was the injury. Or perhaps the Saints were simply too limited without Chris Olave, who suffered another concussion in the first half, and Rashid Shaheed. With the game on the line, Carr threw a deep ball near the sideline to Cedrick Wilson. Something from Alvin Kamara, who was brilliant for most of the game, would have been a better option.

What now?

This was a must win for the Saints. The wheels have fallen off in Charlotte. Costly penalties. Failures in the red zone. Questionable decisions. Everything bad teams do, the Saints did. The injury excuse, especially after Carr's return, is no longer valid. The Saints won according to the statistics, but not on the scoreboard. General manager Mickey Loomis told several others: “You have to look beyond the results.” But they are important. And the results just aren't there. It won't be pretty in the Dome next Sunday when the Falcons come to town. The Saints are now entering Week 10 and are playing just to be proud.