Ja’Tavion Sanders, welcome to the National Football League. That was the non-verbal message sent loudly and clearly by Chase Young in the Saints’ 47-10 win.
Midway through the third quarter, Young got leverage on Carolina’s rookie tight end and planted him 4 yards behind the line of scrimmage, knocking him all the way into Week 2.
“Honestly, we had a run play and Chase Young just ran straight through my face,” said Sanders, who made his first NFL start in the opener. “That was my real wakeup call to the NFL. Just knowing that you can’t outmuscle every guy, that these are all grown-ass men and they all strong as hell. Just trying to get stronger and better every day.
What did Sanders learn from the play?
“I ain’t letting that (bleep) happen again,” he said on Monday, courtesy of Carolina Blitz. “Not trying to linger on that play and just focus on the next play. That’s all I can control.”
Sanders’ next play figures to include either Joey Bosa or Khalil Mack when the Panthers (0-1) host an energetic Jim Harbaugh, J.K. Dobbins and the Chargers (1-0) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS).
Carolina’s fourth-round selection (101st overall) in April’s draft, Sanders caught his first NFL pass early in the second quarter but was called for holding later on the same drive, which ended in a punt. Sanders wasn’t on the field often. New Orleans scored on its first nine possessions to open a new offensive playbook under coordinator Klint Kubiak.
Things can only go up for Sanders and the Panthers. Injuries to the tight end position have created early opportunities for Sanders and Jordan Matthews. They’ll need more offense moving forward, after placing defensive tackle Derrick Brown on injured reserve with a knee injury.
Carolina has lost 38 of its last 49 games since opening the 2021 season with three straight wins.