Panthers finally end 9-game losing streak with 22-14 defeat of Saints

The Carolina Panthers have finally won a game and ended the NFL's longest active losing streak.

Behind QB Baker Mayfield, the Panthers beat the New Orleans Saints 22-14 on Sunday, which marked their first win since Week 10 last year. They lost the final seven games of the 2021 season, and then the first two games of the 2022 season, for a total of nine straight losses.

But no more. The Panthers beat the Saints for their first win of the season, and they did it with a fair amount of help from the Saints. The Panthers got the game's first points on the board with over 5 minutes left in the first quarter, with the defense casually recovering a fumble and running all the way down the field for a gorgeous scoop and score.

It looked like the Saints might get some of their own points with time running out in the first half, but the Panthers special teams came through in a big way with a block.

The Saints did end up scoring a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, but the Panthers answered right back when wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. broke free and ran all the way into the end zone.

The two-point conversion after that score was a failure, but Saints QB Jameis Winston gifted the Panthers with an interception that they turned into a field goal. They were far enough ahead that the final Saints TD was functionally meaningless.

So the Panthers' long, winless nightmare is finally over. Maybe this gives them some forward momentum, or else they might start a new nightmare winless streak next week.