NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A glitzy, renovated Superdome will host two new-look offenses in Week 1 of an NFL season that also will end in New Orleans.
While the Saints and rebuilding Carolina Panthers are long shots to be in the dome when the Super Bowl is played there in February, New Orleans is urgently trying to end a three-year playoff absence.
Third-year coach Dennis Allen's job security could hinge on the scheme brought in by new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who spent last season as an assistant with NFC champion San Francisco.
Kubiak aims to get the most out of quarterback Derek Carr, running back Alvin Kamara, receiver Chris Olave and versatile skill player Taysom Hill (a tight end, officially) with a system heavy on outside zone runs and play-action passes, and which provides the option of running different plays out of similar formations.
Carr said the new scheme diverges sharply from what Saints fans witnessed for a decade and a half under former coach Sean Payton, and for the past two seasons under former offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr., a Payton protege.
“It is going to be different than what they’re used to," Carr said. “They’re going to see a lot of different things that’ll make it really hard for defenses.”
The Panthers finished with the worst record in the league last season at 2-15, but now have a new general manager in Dan Morgan, a new coach in Dave Canales and a revamped roster.
Canales addressed players shortly after his hire and asked them to put last season behind them. It hasn’t been talked about much since.
“If you look at the roster and the turnover that’s happened, it’s a new thing. It’s something new that we’re going to become, which I’m excited about,” Canales said. "We got a bunch of new guys to play with. Let’s learn each other. Let’s figure out a style that we know how to play.”
That message resonated with veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen.
“We have a lot of new guys on our team that that don’t understand what was going on last year," Thielen said. "That’s a good thing because we are just ready to play football.”
The Saints have three new starters on the offensive line, including two tackles with not much experience. Rookie Taliese Fuaga, a first-round draft choice, is set to make his NFL debut at left tackle. Trevor Penning, a 2022 first-rounder who missed most of his rookie season with a foot injury and then lost the left tackle job last year, is set to start at right tackle.
“He’s doing everything we’ve asked him to do. He’s a super coachable guy," Kubiak said of Penning. “A lot can be said about where he started and where he’s come from. He’s earned the right to go out there and play really well on Sunday.”
The Panthers don’t have much experience at outside linebacker opposite veteran Jadeveon Clowney, which could impact their pass rush.
Carolina traded Brian Burns, a top defender in 2023, and lost starter Frankie Luvu to free agency. The Panthers added Clowney and D.J. Wonnum in free agency, but the latter will start the season on the physically unable to perform list, along with top backup Amare Barno.
That leaves Carolina with three edge rushers who’ve never recorded an NFL regular season sack — DJ Johnson, Eku Leota and waiver rookie claim Jamie Sheriff — vying for the spot opposite Clowney.
“We can’t be afraid to expose them" to games, Canales said. "We got to live with some of the lumps.”
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft, returns to the Superdome, where he endured a miserable outing as a rookie.
Young was 13 of 36 for 137 yards and sacked four times as the Panthers were soundly defeated 28-6. He called it one of the loudest stadiums he played in as rookie.
“It’s an awesome environment and they have a great fan base,” Young said. “We’re expecting it to be loud.”
Wide receiver Diontae Johnson, acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers, is expected to be a focal point of the Panthers' passing game.
Johnson had 107 receptions for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns in 2021 for the Steelers and the Panthers believe he can get back to that form.
The Saints' defense ranked 10th against the pass last season and New Orleans' secondary looks even deeper now. Despite trade speculation surrounding top cornerback Marshon Lattimore, he remains, along with Paulson Adebo, Alontae Taylor and rookie Kool-Aid McKinstry.
Tyrann Mathieu, whose 33 interceptions are tied for second league-wide among active players, returns at safety.
“We got all our guys, they're all healthy and they're all motivated,” Mathieu said. “We're in a good spot.”
AP Sports Writer Steve Reed in Charlotte, North Carolina, contributed.
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Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) drops back to pass in the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Buffalo Bills, Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
The last Emmys — in January, the 75th edition — went reunion crazy on such a big birthday, with cast reunions of such classic series as “Cheers,” “The Sopranos,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and “All in the Family.” The latest Emmys said: “Hold my applause.”
“Shogun,” “Baby Reindeer” and “The Bear” all picked up trophies throughout the night that was peppered with reunions of shows like “Saturday Night Live” and “Happy Days,” as well as themes, like TV dads and moms.
Here are some of the night’s notable moments:
The father-and-son duo of Eugene and Dan Levy, the winning stars of the 2020 Emmys aboard “Schitt’s Creek,” hosted and they were warm, mocking themselves as they noted the TV telecast was honoring "movie stars on streaming services.”
Even when the Candians went after a show — like “The Bear,” competing in the best comedy series category, even though it's not a traditional yukfest — it was gentle.
“Now, I love the show, I love the show, and I know some of you will be expecting us to make a joke about whether ‘The Bear’ is really a comedy — but in the true spirit of ‘The Bear,’ we will not be making any jokes,” Eugene Levy said.
In one bit, the two found themselves in the audience but in different rows, mistaking stage left for house left. Awkwardness ensued. When they tried to push through, Eugene Levy wailed: “I can't see the prompter!”
John Oliver thanked a lot of people after his “Last Week Tonight” won for outstanding scripted variety series, but things got weird when he ended up honoring his family’s recently dead dog.
“We have the most fantastic dog, and she was at our wedding and she got us through the pandemic. She was with us for two pregnancies…,” he said, before getting the leave-the-stage music swelled.
Oliver didn’t take the hint: “We had to say goodbye to her. I feel like Sarah McLaughlin right now. She was an amazing dog,” he said. He then shouted an expletive and tried to make it more than about his deceased canine.
“This isn’t just for her. This is for all dogs,” he continued as the auditorium roared. “All dogs, you are all very good girls. You are very good boys. You all deserve a treat. Play me off now! Thanks so much.”
“The West Wing” celebrated its 25th anniversary with castmembers Martin Sheen, Dulé Hill, Richard Schiff, Janel Moloney and Allison Janney gathering to help hand out the best drama trophy.
Created by Aaron Sorkin and first airing on NBC in the fall 1999, “The West Wing” offed an idealistic depiction of what politics can be. The castmembers gathered in a set mimicking the Oval Office. It ended in 2006.
“It's hard to believe that just 25 years ago, Aaron and the writers actually had to use their imaginations to create interesting plot lines for ‘The West Wing,’” Janney said. Added Schiff: “Unlike today, where storylines can be plucked right off the news, storylines that writers would have deemed a bit far-fetched if not utterly ridiculous 25 years ago.”
Jane Lynch, who played vicious cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester on “Glee” and Brendan Hunt, the quiet Coach Willis Beard on “Ted Lasso,” teamed up to help hand out the award for best director of a drama series.
They appeared in a locker room set, with Lynch teasing Hunt that she was a head coach on TV and he was just an assistant coach. But the stage seemed a little too big for just these two TV coaches.
That changed when the stage revealed Paris Olympians Ilona Maher, Caeleb Dressel and Stephen “Pommel Horse Guy” Nedoroscik alongside Paralympian Ezra Frech.
“Saturday Night Live” got a head start to its 50th anniversary next year with a mini-reunion, as Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Seth Meyers and Bowen Yang presented the award for best writing for a variety special.
Three of the four mocked creator and producer Lorne Michaels in the audience, who they claimed was nominated and lost 85 times at the Emmys. Rudolph said he was “robbed.” Yang said “it gets better” and “keep winning.” Meyers corrected them all to say that, in fact, Michaels has actually won 21 Emmys. Yang then leaned into mispronouncing his boss' first name.
It may have been a taste for 2025, when the trailblazing sketch show will be celebrated, including a three-hour live primetime special in February. It has been the springboard for such stars as Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, Tina Fey, Will Ferrell and Mike Myers.
Antony Starr of “The Boys,” Giancarlo Esposito from “Breaking Bad” and Kathy Bates of “Misery” came out to represent an oddly key part of TV — the villains.
“Without villains or antagonists, there wouldn’t be much of a story,” Esposito said. But it takes its toll. “Do you know how hard it was to get a date after ‘Misery,'” Bates joked about her Stephen King role as a crazed kidnapper.
Esposito complained that drug dealers will interrupt his dinner to ask his advice about building their empires and Starr said so many 12-year-old critics have approached him to say his superhero is “bad.” He responds that the show has an R rating. “It’s sloppy, sloppy parenting,” he observed.
George Lopez, Damon Wayans, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who have all played memorable TV dads, gathered to recognize the lead actor in a comedy series. They walked into a mancave set and Lopez and Wayans said they wanted to thank their TV wives, but Ferguson balked, having starred with a TV husband instead on “Modern Family.” “I’m so sorry, did you watch my show, or...?” he asked them. “Yes, all 90 seasons,” Wayans responded.
Later, it was the moms’ turn. Meredith Baxter, who played the “Family Ties” matriarch, Connie Britton of “Friday Night Lights” and Susan Kelechi Watson of “This Is Us” presented the award for best writing for a comedy series. “We have come a long way,” said Baxter. “TV moms are no longer one-dimensional,” said Watson. “It’s OK to ask for as much as a TV dad.”
Director-producer Ron Howard and actor-author Henry Winkler reunited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of “Happy Days,” a romanticized take on teenage life in the 1950s that pivoted on adolescent humor about cars and dating.
Winkler, who played cool guy Fonzie with his signature “Aaaayy!” with both thumbs up, and Howard, who played the goody-goody Richie Cunningham, became household names thanks to the sitcom, which ran from 1974–1980. Winkler went on to win an Emmy on HBO’s dark comedy “Barry” and spread awareness about dyslexia as a best-selling author; Howard went on direct such Oscar-winners as “Apollo 13” and “A Beautiful Mind.”
The two men met onstage in a set dressed like the diner the show was mostly set in. Winkler congratulated Howard for his Emmy-winning documentary on Jim Henson. But despite some prodding by Howard, Winkler wouldn’t sing the theme song. “I'm out of practice,” he said. “And it takes schooling.” So Winkler nudged the jukebox with his elbow instead and the theme played.
The TV criminal justice system was represented Sunday by two separate but equal parts. There were the cops – Jimmy Smits of “NYPD Blue,” Niecy Nash-Betts of “Reno 911!” and Don Johnson of “Miami Vice.” They appeared on a set with a New York City police car onstage. Smits noted that he died in episode one of “Miami Vice” and later as a cast member of “NYPD Blue.” Nash-Betts said she never died: “I’m Black and I survived ‘Dahmer,’” she joked.
And then there were the TV lawyers who took cases to court: Viola Davis of “How to Get Away with Murder,” Gina Torres from “Suits” and Christine Baranski from “The Good Wife” and “The Good Fight.” (Though, to be honest, Smits was also a good lawyer in “L.A. Law.”)
“Lawyers have seen every combination of the human condition,” Davis said. Added Torres: “In so many ways, they try to better that human condition and uplift us.”
For more coverage of the 2024 Emmys, visit https://apnews.com/hub/emmy-awards
Damon Wayans, from left, George Lopez, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson present the award for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Janel Moloney, from left, Dule Hill, Martin Sheen, Allison Janney, and Richard Schiff present the award for outstanding drama series during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
John Oliver accepts the award for outstanding scripted variety series for "Last Week Tonight With John Oliver" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Ron Howard, left, and Henry Winkler present the award for outstanding directing for a comedy series during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Ron Howard, left, and Henry Winkler present the award for outstanding directing for a comedy series during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Gina Torres, from left, Viola Davis, and Christine Baranski present the award for outstanding lead actress in a drama series during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Brendan Hunt, left, and Jane Lynch present the award for outstanding directing for a drama seriesduring the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Ron Howard, left, and Henry Winkler present the award for outstanding directing for a comedy series during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Hosts Eugene Levy and Dan Levy speak during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Maya Rudolph, from left, Seth Meyers, Kristen Wiig, and Bowen Yang present the award for outstanding writing for a variety special during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Antony Starr, from left, Kathy Bates, and Giancarlo Esposito present the award for outstanding supporting actress in a limited or anthology series or movie during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
