Mike Jackson sends warning to Panthers about upcoming game at lowly Saints

The Carolina Panthers improved to 7-6 on the season via their upset 31-28 win over the Los Angeles Rams (9-3) on Sunday. Carolina will now enter its Week 14 bye before the club starts preparing for a matchup at the lowly New Orleans Saints (2-10) on Dec. 14. 

Following Sunday's victory, Panthers cornerback Mike Jackson spoke with Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated and offered somewhat of a warning to his teammates regarding the Week 15 game that will take place at Caesars Superdome.

Panthers should remember what happened last time they played in New Orleans

"Right now, everybody’s patting us on the back and telling us how good we are. We’re going to hear all about it," Jackson explained. "And last time we played there, they put 40 on our head. So we got to come in with the right mindset to get that one."

Jackson was referencing how the Panthers opened last season with a 47-10 loss at the Saints in September 2024. Of course, much has changed for both clubs since that contest. As it pertains to the Panthers, quarterback Bryce Young was benched after Week 2 of that campaign. More recently, he has won seven of 12 starts this season (he missed one game due to an ankle injury). 

Against the Rams, Young completed 15-of-20 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns. According to Pro Football Reference, he began Monday ranked 23rd in the NFL among qualified players with a 45.6 adjusted QBR and 23rd with an 87.9 passer rating on the season. He has been guilty of some avoidable miscues during games, but he also has the Panthers trailing only the 7-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the battle for the NFC South division title. 

The Panthers will host the Bucs in Week 16. Those two teams will meet at Tampa Bay's Raymond James Stadium in Week 18. 

Panthers aren't surprised by their record

A Panthers team that was 0-2 and that suffered three losses over the season's first four weeks has since emerged as one of the top positive surprises of the campaign. According to Jackson, he and others in the locker room realized back in the summer that the Panthers could do more than win a handful of games this season. 

"I knew it back in training camp," Jackson told Breer. "At the end of the day, we’re a very good team. It’s just consistency was our problem. So we had to focus on that."

Carolina should be a big favorite over New Orleans on the second Sunday of December. It sounds like Jackson could spend the next couple of weeks doing whatever he can to prevent the Panthers from looking past what could become a so-called "trap game."