Losing to the New Orleans Saints of all teams hurts; there’s no denying that. The defeat dragged fans back to earth after a week of playoff chatter, and the Carolina Panthers didn’t get many moments worth circling.
But one stood out. And it belonged to rookie edge rusher Nic Scourton.
The second-round outside linebacker spent the afternoon rewriting the rhythm of a defense that badly needed someone to break through. Four tackles. Two quarterback hits. A huge fourth-down sack.
Carolina entered the game with one plan: make first-year quarterback Tyler Shough uncomfortable, force the 26-year-old rookie to play fast.