Running up score? Saints' Jimmy Graham dismisses Panthers' concerns from last year

If the Carolina Panthers are still steamed about New Orleans running up the score in last season’s regular-season finale, Saints TE Jimmy Graham says they need to simmer down.

Needing an unlikely San Francisco loss to St. Louis to move up in the NFC playoff seedings, New Orleans outscored Carolina 21-0 in the second half of a 45-17 victory while QB Drew Brees, RB Darren Sproles and Graham went after NFL records.

The aggressiveness of now-suspended Saints coach Sean Payton did not sit well with Panthers coach Ron Rivera.

“It’s a philosophy. It’s an attitude. And that’s what his is,” Rivera told the Charlotte Observer this week in anticipation of the Saints' visit on Sunday. “So he coaches that way and they play that way. My attitude and my philosophy is win the football game, and then be smart about the next week. That’s just the way I look at it, a difference in philosophy.”

Graham caught eight passes for 97 yards, including a 19-yard scoring reception in the third quarter as he battled New England’s Rob Gronkowski for the NFL record for receiving yards by a tight end in a season.

“We just played,” Graham said. “This is the National Football League. This isn’t Pop Warner. Last year we scored a lot against a lot of people.”

Gronkowski wound up with 1,327 yards to Graham’s 1,310 after going back into the game late in the fourth quarter of a 49-21 win over Buffalo and catching a 22-yard pass.

“He wasn’t even in the game, and then they threw two passes to him,” Graham said. “We didn’t do that. We were just out there playing football.”

Lofton says he was fine: Told that Saints interim coach Aaron Kromer had said a lack of practice time affected his play against Washington, MLB Curtis Lofton said he had not noticed a difference.

Not at all,” he said. “Nobody plays a perfect game, but I’ll learn from last week’s mistakes and go into this week feeling confident.”

Lofton made nine tackles, tied for the second most on the team.

Injury update: Three players were unable to practice on Thursday – WR Devery Henderson (concussion), CB Johnny Patrick (right thigh) and DE Turk McBride (left ankle). LB Scott Shanle was limited with a right knee injury. CB Jabari Greer, who sat out against Washington with a groin injury, was full go for the second consecutive day.

Henderson went through stretches and was in uniform without a helmet at the beginning of practice.

“We have to be very cautious with Devery Henderson,” Kromer said. “Any time you have a head injury like he had, we are going to err on the side of caution and make sure his health comes first. We’ll see as the ends of the week comes, but we are going to make sure we do the right thing for the team and for him.”

Follow Saints reporter Guerry Smith on Twitter @CBSSaints.