CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — After he broke the pocket and weaved his way up the field for a 24-yard gain, Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young briefly posed to signal first down in a rare display of confidence for the second-year quarterback.
Young didn’t put up great numbers on Sunday, completing 15 of 25 passes for 126 yards with one touchdown, but he played mostly mistake-free football while leading the Panthers to a 20-17 overtime victory over the New York Giants in Germany.
It was the first time since late in the 2022 season the Panthers have won back-to-back games.
Young is just 4-17 as an NFL starter.
And while his skill set hasn’t come close to matching someone such as multiple Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft is beginning to show signs of growth and leadership — as well as confidence — as the Panthers (3-7) look to salvage an otherwise miserable season and taking steps to improve.
While coach Dave Canales wouldn’t say who’ll start on Nov. 24 against Mahomes and the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs following the bye week, it would seem almost a foregone conclusion he’ll stick with Young.
“I’m so proud of Bryce,” Canales said. “I’m so proud of taking the next step again. I thought he had a great day. I thought it could have been a fantastic day. I thought a few balls got away from us a couple of times and that could have turned it into really an exceptional day. But he handled rush well. He handled the different coverage looks and all that.”
What’s working
Just days after being rewarded with a four-year, $33 million contract extension, RB Chuba Hubbard ran for a career-best 153 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries and had four catches for 16 yards. That, despite Hubbard saying he briefly dislocated his knee in the second half when he fumbled after being bent backward on a tackle. Hubbard continued playing.
Hubbard has been the team’s clear MVP this season. A patient, smart runner who has the knack for reading when holes open, Hubbard has racked up 818 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 5.1 yards per carry.
“I expected nothing less,” Canales said. “It’s the consistency of the guy. He showed up again and ran hard and ran the runs the way we wanted to versus the different looks and they made it challenging on us. But we found some wins in there, and we were able to run the ball like we wanted to.”
What needs help
The Panthers run defense continues to be an issue as they allowed the Giants to put up 167 yards on the ground on 34 carries and two touchdowns. However, defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson came up with the biggest play of the game against his former team, stripping Tyrone Tracy of the football on the first play from scrimmage in overtime deep in New York territory to set up Eddy Pineiro’s winning field goal from 36 yards.
Stock up
Panthers ILB Josey Jewell, a free agent pickup during the offseason, had a huge game in Germany with six tackles including one for a loss, an interception and a fumble recovery that led to the winning kick. Jewell, who has battled through injuries this season, was all over the field and nearly had a second interception. Granted, it came against a Daniel Jones-led offense that has struggled, but Jewell’s big game was a welcome addition for a unit that has struggled all season. The Panthers also got solid contributions from OLB D.J. Wonnum in his first game for Carolina and he missed the first nine games with an injury.
Stock down
The Panthers got a win, but it was a sloppy one with more costly mental mistakes. Carolina was penalized 10 times for 87 yards. Carolina has averaged 7.2 penalties per game, which ranks near the bottom of the league. “We’ve got to clean up the penalties,” Canales said. “That’s something we’ll attack and talk about with our guys because that really did give them some more opportunities but to me it’s about that weekly improvement.”
Injuries
RB Miles Sanders injured his foot/ankle in Sunday’s game and did not return. The good news for the Panthers is that rookie RB Jonathan Brooks should be ready to play following the bye week giving them depth behind Hubbard. The team had hoped to activate Brooks in Munich, but ultimately decided to wait another two weeks. Also, LB D.J. Johnson suffered a concussion.
Key number
9 — Where the Panthers would draft in 2025 through Sunday’s games.
Next steps
Players have been given the week off before returning next Monday to begin preparations for the Chiefs on Nov. 24.
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