The New Orleans Saints staged a dramatic fourth‑quarter comeback to defeat division rival Carolina Panthers 20-17 for their second consecutive win. Charlie Smyth, activated to the roster just two weeks ago, converted a 47‑yard field goal with two seconds remaining to secure the victory after the Saints had trailed by 10 points in the third quarter.
Here are the top standouts from the Saints’ victory.
Tyler Shough
After coming off a top-five performance per PFSN’s QB Impact metric, QB Tyler Shough once again led the Saints to a win. The stats may not leap off the page, but Shough had a great game. Even with a lack of a run game in the second half, interesting play-calling, and horrific pass protection, Shough stepped up when needed, against all odds (which happens every week).
One of Shough’s big plays came at the end of the fourth quarter, where he found WR Chris Olave perfectly in stride for the touchdown.
Tyler Shough finds Chris Olave for the TD!
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/QS4Jhoddr5
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 15, 2025
Devaughn Vele
Someone who has changed every Saints fan’s opinion of him is WR Devaughn Vele, and he was excellent in today’s game. Every time the Saints were in a difficult spot to get the first down, it felt like Vele was in the perfect position to make the catch. These were some great throws, but Vele was the only player on the roster who could make those catches.
One in particular occurred near the start of the second quarter on 2nd-and-18. Vele rose into the sky and made a big catch.
What a catch by Vele 🙌#Saints | 📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/CzQY2dQ7ZF
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 14, 2025
Juwan Johnson
Since being signed to a questionable contract, TE Juwan Johnson has been one of the most underrated players on the team. The reasons he gets (understandable) criticism are his inconsistency. Johnson can make a big catch and run, then three plays later, drop an easy pass. This has been the story of the season, but in this game, there were no mistakes.
In the first quarter, he had one nice catch in stride for a first down, and later, he made a tip-drill catch that was massive on the Saints’ first TD drive.
Juwan Johnson tips it to himself 😮
CARvsNO on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/kDiCJEFW2M
— NFL (@NFL) December 14, 2025
The New Orleans Saints will host the New York Jets (3-11) on Sunday, Dec. 21, at Caesars Superdome in their final home game of the 2025 season.
