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2012 Week 2 · Sun, Sep 16, 2012 · Bank of America Stadium

New Orleans Saints

27

Carolina PanthersWinner

35

NO -3 upsetO 53 ✓

Carolina Panthers 35–27.

Pre-2018 game — box score & context only; play-by-play visuals start in 2018

Who moved the needle

Top performers

Passing · NO

Drew BreesQB

31/49, 325 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT

2.0 expected points added · +0.9% completion over expected

Passing · CAR

Cam NewtonQB

14/20, 253 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT

14.0 expected points added · +13.3% completion over expected

Rushing · NO

Pierre ThomasRB

9 att, 110 yds, 0 TD

6.9 expected points added on the ground

Rushing · CAR

Cam NewtonQB

13 att, 71 yds, 1 TD

-3.1 expected points added on the ground

Receiving · NO

Darren SprolesRB

13/14 for 128 yds, 0 TD

30% of team targets · 8.4 expected points added

Receiving · CAR

Steve SmithWR

3/4 for 104 yds, 0 TD

21% of team targets · 6.9 expected points added

Full stat lines

Box score

New Orleans Saints

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINTSackedEPA
Drew Brees31/493251212.0

Rushing

PlayerAttYdsAvgTDEPA
Pierre Thomas911012.206.9
Mark Ingram16533.310.3
Drew Brees200.010.9

Receiving

PlayerRecTgtYdsTDTgt shareEPA
Darren Sproles1314128030%8.4
Jimmy Graham71371128%-0.0
Marques Colston344909%4.8
Pierre Thomas4633013%1.5
Lance Moore2530011%-1.0
Courtney Roby11902%0.7
Joseph Morgan13506%-1.1
David Thomas01002%-5.9

Defense (top contributors)

PlayerSoloAstSacksINTPD
Curtis Lofton550.000
Malcolm Jenkins820.000
Will Smith340.000
Corey White420.000
Jonathan Casillas410.000
Cameron Jordan311.000
Sedrick Ellis210.000
Patrick Robinson210.002
Roman Harper210.000
David Hawthorne110.000

Carolina Panthers

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINTSackedEPA
Cam Newton14/2025310114.0

Rushing

PlayerAttYdsAvgTDEPA
Cam Newton13715.51-3.1
DeAngelo Williams14694.911.4
Jonathan Stewart11514.600.2
Brandon LaFell12525.001.6
Mike Tolbert231.510.8

Receiving

PlayerRecTgtYdsTDTgt shareEPA
Steve Smith34104021%6.9
Brandon LaFell6890042%4.1
Mike Tolbert2223011%2.1
Jonathan Stewart111715%2.4
Greg Olsen1313016%0.7
Kealoha Pilares11605%0.4

Defense (top contributors)

PlayerSoloAstSacksINTPD
Charles Godfrey650.011
James Anderson270.000
Josh Norman530.000
Chris Gamble430.001
Jon Beason250.012
Haruki Nakamura410.000
Luke Kuechly140.000
Captain Munnerlyn310.000
Greg Hardy220.000
Thomas Keiser210.500

Closing number vs result

Betting context

Closing spread
NO -3
Closing total
53
NO moneyline
-152
CAR moneyline
+137

Saints closed -3 and lost outright — an upset against the closing number.

Total closed 53; the game landed 62 — over by 9.0.

Conditions and crew

Game environment

Venue
Bank of America Stadium
Roof / surface
outdoors · grass
Kickoff weather
71°F, wind 4 mph
Referee
Gerald Wright
Rest
NO 7 days · CAR 7 days
Coaches
Aaron Kromer vs Ron Rivera

Division game — familiarity tightens these matchups; closing numbers tend to be sharper.