The Carolina Panthers weren’t picked by many pundits, whether national or local, to knock off the Green Bay Packers in Lambeau Field in Week 9. The Packers came into the matchup as the creme-de-la-creme of the NFC, and the Panthers were just throttled by the Buffalo Bills 40-9 on their home turf.
We all know how it turned out. Carolina earned the 16-13 victory and correspondingly conveyed a message to doubters not to count them out so easily.
The 5-4 Panthers now host the 1-8 New Orleans Saints at home in Week 10 on Sunday, looking to avoid the same ‘trap game’ fate.
Panthers Find Themselves on the Other Side of a Familiar Predicament
Reporters asked Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn on Thursday if he considered the Saints a rival ahead of the impending matchup. Horn paused briefly before responding, “Yeah. I mean, it’s a division game. I think anybody in the division a rival, for real, to me.”
The margins in division games usually tend to condense a bit. In the 60 games played between the two franchises, New Orleans holds a 31-29 advantage over Carolina. That’s the first point to keep in mind when considering how this Sunday’s game may play out.
Secondly, a cornered animal is a dangerous one. The Saints have just one win on the season through the first nine weeks, and they’re winless on the road. Difficult to get any further into a corner than that.
The other required angle for a trap game scenario is that the opponent of the bottom-dwelling team is enjoying a successful campaign and/or an impressive win — two boxes the Carolina Panthers can proudly check off, finally.
However, Horn, who is off to a magnificent start to his 2025 season, supported by an 84.1 score on PFSN’s CBi Metric, is aware of the challenges and targets that the Panthers’ new position presents.
“What makes it tough is they’re going, like you said, they’re looking for a win. We done been in that position before and it’s, you’re doing whatever you can. They’re going to play as hard as they can, and we got to come ready to play just like every other Sunday.”, Horn said when asked about facing a 1-8 opponent.
The Panthers have been the underdog in the equation for the better part of, well, about six years. Jaycee Horn isn’t getting caught up in any hype; however, staying locked in on “just trying to uphold the standard.”
Horn explained how a win like the team notched against the Packers can affect the Panthers, saying:
“Yeah, I mean I think there’s good and bad can come from it. You can take it and use it as a positive, you know, energy and momentum to make a run. Or you can feel like you made it and get your a** beat.”
Horn has become a more vocal leader this season, on a team that had been questioned about its mentality and identity.
So, what does Jaycee Horn, the leader, say to the locker room as the team is fresh off the biggest win they’ve captured in years, with a division rival on the way into town, and much more attention being given to their outcomes than perhaps they’ve been accustomed to?
“My message has been just, focus even more. Keep putting in the work and good stuff will keep happening.”