08. Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints (2008)
Sequels are never better than the originals and that’s the case here. As fun as the first Panthers-Saints romp in the Superdome was four years later, their first barnburner in 2008 was a classic. Both teams went into it with plenty to play for. New Orleans still had a shot at a wild card playoff spot. Carolina was aiming to win the division, which wasn’t cemented yet with the Atlanta Falcons right on their heels having finished 11-5.
The two teams played with equal desperation. Carolina jumped out to a 23-3 lead and looked ready to run away with it. Then Drew Brees worked his magic and brought the Saints all the way back to take a 31-30 lead with three minutes left in the game. Unfortunately, as has been the case many times for them, the defense couldn’t get a stop. The Panthers got big plays from Steve Smith and DeAngelo Williams to set up a 42-yard field goal to escape 33-31.