NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (12-3) AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (5-10) SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2019 – 12:00 P.M. (CST) BANK OF AMERICA STADIUM – CHARLOTTE, N.C. TV: FOX (WVUE FOX 8 locally) – Kenny Albert (play-by-play), Ronde` Bar- ber (color analyst) and Lindsay Czarniak (sideline) NATIONAL RADIO: Compass Media Network – Bill Rosinski (play-by-play) and Brian Baldinger (color analyst) LOCAL RADIO: WWL (870 AM and 105.3 FM) – Zach Strief (play-by-play), Deuce McAllister (color analyst) and Steve Geller (sideline) SPANISH LANGUAGE RADIO: KGLA (830 AM and 105.7 FM) – Mario Je- rez (play-by-play), Juan Carlos Ramos and Victor Quinonez (color analysts) longest catch by a Black and Gold tight end since 1978. THE MATCHUP Cook has fulfilled the expectation of being the playmaker After an impressive 38-28 win over the Tennessee Titans at the position the Saints sought, posting 41 receptions for on Sunday at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, the New Orle- 661 yards (16.1 avg.) and a career-high eight touchdowns. ans Saints will travel to Bank of America Stadium in Char- Kamara carried 11 times for a game-high 80 yards and lotte for their regular season finale against the Carolina two touchdowns, including a 40-yard scoring run and also Panthers. caught six passes for 30 yards. He has become only the With the win over the Titans, New Orleans improved to third player in NFL record books with both 500 yards rush- 12-3. With the NFC South sealed up since Thanksgiving ing and 500 yards receiving in each of his first three sea- night along with at least the NFC’s third seed in the sons. playoffs, New Orleans is very much alive for a top-two Thomas finished with 12 receptions for 136 yards and a seed in the postseason. With a loss on Monday night by fourth quarter touchdown. Now with 145 receptions on the the Green Bay Packers, New Orleans can at least clinch season, he became the NFL’s single-season catches the second seed with a win on Sunday. recordholder. Thomas’ 1,688 receiving yards, which leads the NFL, is the tenth-highest total in league record books. After falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter, New Orle- ans scored touchdowns on four consecutive full offensive After giving up the two early touchdowns, the New Orle- drives in the second and third quarters, finishing with their ans defense rallied to pick up five sacks and keep the third consecutive output of at least 34 points, as they have pressure on the Titans offense. When the Titans got the moved into the NFL’s top five in scoring. ball back from a failed fake punt attempt late in the fourth quarter at their 38-yard line, rookie S C.J. Gardner- Saints QB Drew Brees completed 27-of-38 passes for Johnson tackled Tennessee WR Kalif Raymond, 279 yards with three touchdown passes, zero interceptions and a 118.2 passer rating. Brees’ top three weapons in his forced the football out and returned it 37 yards to the Ti- arsenal, TE Jared Cook, RB Alvin Kamara and WR Mi- tans 25-yard line in what would lead to New Orleans’ final chael Thomas all enjoyed standout afternoons. touchdown to seal the win. Gardner’s versatility has been a boon as he’s posted 44 stops, one interception, eight Cook posted three receptions for 84 yards with two re- passes defensed and the forced fumble/recovery. ceptions, including a 61-yard scoring grab that was the Saints at Panthers: Week 17 2 SAINTS-PANTHERS CONNECTIONS Louis Rams coaching staff from 1999-2000...Saints Senior Defensive Assistant Peter Giunta and Panthers Secondary New Orleans wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. played for the Coach Perry Fewell served on the same New York Giants Panthers in 2013 and from 2015-16 and linebacker A.J. staff from 2010-14...Carolina tight end Chris Manhertz Klein was a fifth round (148th overall) draft pick of Car- played for the Saints from 2015-16...Panthers guard Trai olina in 2013 and played four seasons with the club, play- Turner prepped at St. Augustine (New Orleans) HS and ing in 60 games with 23 starts, making 155 tackles, four played at LSU...Panthers defensive end Vernon Butler sacks, an interception, a pass defense, three forced fum- prepped at North Pike (Summit) HS and played at Louisi- bles and 27 special teams stops...New Orleans LB ana Tech...Panthers defensive end Wes Horton spent the Stephone Anthony prepped at Anson (N.C.) HS and 2019 offseason and preseason with New Orle- played at Clemson…Saints quarterback Teddy Bridgewater ans...Panthers outside linebacker Marquis Haynes played was tutored by Carolina Offensive Coordinator/ at the University of Mississippi...New Orleans safety Eric Quarterbacks Coach Scott Turner in Minnesota from 20014 Reid prepped at Dutchtown High School and played at -16. Bridgewater and New Orleans quarterback Drew LSU...New Orleans running back Dwayne Washington and Brees were also tutored by Panthers Special Assistant Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson were college team- to the Head Coach Norv Turner with both the Vikings and mates at the University of Washington...New Orleans cor- Chargers respectively...New Orleans safety D.J. nerback P.J. Williams and Panthers cornerback Javien El- Swearinger prepped at Greenwood (S.C.) HS and liott were college teammates at Florida State. played at South Carolina. Swearinger and Panthers defen- Swearinger and Ellliott were teammates in Tampa Bay in sive tackle Gerald McCoy were teammates in Tampa 2016. Swearinger and Panthers running back Mike Davis Bay...Saints defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth also played were college teammates with the Gamecocks. Saints Spe- for the Gamecocks, where he was a college teammate of cial Teams Assistant Michael Wilhoite played with Davis in Panthers tackle Dennis Daley...Carolina Tight Ends Coach San Francisco from 2015-16 and in Seattle in 2017...Saints Pete Hoerner served on Saints Linebackers Coach guard/tackle Michael Ola and Panthers safety Tre Boston Mike Nolan’s San Francisco offensive coaching staff when were teammates with the Los Angeles Chargers in he served as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. No- 2017...Panthers cornerback Donte Jackson prepped at lan served as Norv Turner’s defensive coordinator in Riverdale High School and played at Louisiana State Uni- Washington from 1997-99...Panthers Wide Receivers versity as a college teammate of New Orleans center/guard Coach Jim Hostler served on Nolan’s San Francisco Will Clapp...Panthers defensive tackle Woodrow Hamil- coaching staff and was also an assistant coach in New Or- ton, who played at the University of Mississippi, was leans from 2001-02...Saints tight end Jared Cook played at on the Saints practice squad from 2017-18 and also was a the University of South Carolina from2005-07...New Orle- teammate in New England of Saints defensive tackle Mal- ans defensive tackle Shy Tuttle prepped at North Davidson com Brown along with Panthers wide receiver Chris (Welcome, N.C.) HS...New Orleans Defensive Line Coach Hogan...Saints Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen Ryan Nielsen served as defensive line coach/ tutored Panthers nose tackle Stacy McGee when he recruiting/run game coordinator at North Carolina State served as head coach with the Oakland Raiders from 2013 from 2013-16...Saints Wide Receivers Coach Ronald Curry -14 and McGee was also teammates with defensive line- was a four-year starter at quarterback at the University of man Mario Edwards Jr. and Murray. Swearinger and North Carolina and also was the starting point guard on the McGee were teammates in Washington from 2017- school’s 1998-99 and 2000-01 basketball teams. New Orle- 18...New Orleans cornerback Janoris Jenkins and Pan- ans safety Vonn Bell, cornerback Marshon Lattimore, wide thers cornerback Ross Cockrell were teammates with the receiver Michael Thomas and Panthers wide receiver Cur- Giants in 2017. Jenkins and Panthers cornerback Corn tis Samuel were college teammates at Ohio Elder were teammates in New York in the 2019 presea- State...Bridgewater, Saints center/guard Nick Easton and son...Carolina safety T.J. Green spent the first 14 weeks of running back Latavius Murray played with Panthers wide the 2019 season on New Orleans’ practice squad and receiver Jarius Wright in Minnesota. Easton prepped at played in the team’s Week 15 win over Indianapolis. Antho- Hibriten (Lenoir, N.C.) HS...Panthers Defensive Coordina- ny and Green were college teammates at Clemson and tor Eric Washington played tight end at Grambling State Anthony also played with Hogan in Indianapolis in from 1989-90...Carolina Defensive Line Coach Sam Mills III 2017...New Orleans tackle/guard Patrick Omameh and is the son of former Saints linebacker Sam Mills, who Panthers guard Chris Reed were teammates in Jackson- played for New Orleans from 1986-94 and is a member of ville the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame and the club’s All- 50th Team...Panthers Running Game Coordinator John Matsko served in the same position in New Orleans from 1994-96. Matsko and Giunta served on the same St. Saints at Panthers: Week 17 3 THE COACHES as the team’s defensive backs coach. Prior to the Red- skins, Fewell spent five seasons as the defensive coordina- Saints Head Coach Sean Payton has posted a 138-83 tor of the New York Giants, a stint that included a 21-17 overall record (.624), including an 8-6 postseason mark victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI. In Fewell’s five seasons in New York from 2010-14, his unit after the franchise had won only one playoff game prior to amassed 160 takeaways, the second-most in the NFC and his arrival in 2006.