Panthers drop Saints, 35-27
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Leon Halip/Getty Images(CHARLOTTE, N.C.) — It’s not the start that interim head coach Aaron Kromer wanted to get off to. The Carolina Panthers (1-1) handed the Saints a 35-27 loss on Sunday and New Orleans is now 0-2 to start 2012.
Panthers quarterback Cam Newton threw for 253 yards and ran for a career-high 71 yards with a touchdown in the victory. His counterpart, Drew Brees, was 31 for 49 with 325 yards and a touchdown with an interception but his defense was unable to stop the Panthers all day.
“If you look at our defense, and you look at the two offenses we’ve played, we’ve played the most unconventional offenses in the National Football League,” said interim coach Aaron Kromer.
“So do we have to do better against those styles of offenses? Yeah, we do.”One thing we need to get settled in on is on that style. But we’ve played two good offenses, and we just need to keep working at it and plugging away.”
The Panthers were coming off a tough week one loss but head coach Ron Rivera knew this game was huge with the defending Super Bowl champions, the New York Giants (1-1) coming up on Thursday night.
“The way we responded as a team this week was outstanding,” Rivera said. “I think the attitude, the effort was great.”
This was the Panthers’ first win over New Orleans since 2009.
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