Quarterback Tyler Shough wasn't the only New Orleans Saint to have a dynamite performance against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Cornerback Alontae Taylor also had himself a day in Charlotte.
His game on Sunday, where he gathered five tackles and one interception, was no doubt his best of the 2025 season. However, what he managed to do against the Panthers, or specifically, their quarterback Bryce Young, is nothing new. Since their first matchup against each other, Taylor has been an absolute bully to the former #1 overall selection.
The two have played against each other five times since 2023, with Taylor gathering eight passes defended, five pressures, three sacks, and one interception while only allowing 196 receiving yards and one touchdown on 22 catches. In fact, he's gathered 50% of his career sacks, 33% of his career interceptions, and 17% of his career pressures against Young. Taylor is sure to have the two Panthers games on the calendar circled and highlighted every year.
Saints CB Alontae Taylor says the defense did their job on Sunday
The Saints defense only allowed the Panthers offense to score one time on Sunday. Following the game, Alontae Taylor was asked what the defense did so well. "I think we were just putting our eyes in the right place and doing our job and making sure our technique was right," he told the media. "Demario did a really good job of just bringing everybody in after almost every series and just making sure we did our assignments. I think we did that, and I think it showed up."
"Yeah," Taylor said when asked if Davis' words specifically helped him snag the interception. "I mean, we knew the call all week. Coach (Brandon Staley) kind of tweaked a few ways that I could disguise the play. I think I made a bold move going that close to the line of scrimmage, but I knew what my job was, and I trust everybody around me."
After every win, Saints head coach Kellen Moore gives out a game ball to each player he thought helped the team to the W. For the first time this season, Taylor himself got one. He wasn't the only one, and after the game, Moore said that he was proud of every player on the team. "We've gone through a whole lot, emotionally and physically," He said in the locker room after the game. "The way you guys have hung in there as a team and kept battling together is awesome."