Looking back on Sean Payton’s legacy in the NFC South
By Kristen Wong
2. Sean Payton vs. Carolina Panthers
Sean Payton’s record against the Carolina Panthers is 18-13.
He finished with one win and one loss against the Panthers in the 2021 season.
The Saints never much liked the Panthers, but this rivalry may have peaked with Cam Newton’s arrival in Carolina. Newton’s second and most recent stint on Carolina has not gone as well as planned, but Newton was a nagging thorn in the Saints’ side back in the day.
These two teams’ matchups had everything: trash talk, crazy celebrations, on-field brawls, ejections, showboating, you name it.
In the 2017 season, the Saints won all three games against the Panthers, ultimately ending Carolina’s season in the NFC Wild Card round. NOLA’s Cam, Cam Jordan, apparently sent Newton a bottle of wine and a broom after completing the three-game sweep.
Not to mention, Payton and a bunch of Saints players apparently were seen dancing with a broom in the locker room after the Wild Card win.
If one had to pick between Drew Brees and Cam Newton, Brees is the no-brainer choice, though here’s a random fact: the only two games Brees has missed in his twelve years with the Saints were away games against Carolina.
New Orleans and Carolina will continue taking jabs at each other in the NFC South as longstanding nemeses, but Sean Payton has this series in the bag, too. Broom or no broom.