The 3-11 Panthers could be getting better slowly but surely and might be making progress. But they are nowhere near good or experienced enough yet to overcome turnovers and the kind of egregious mistakes and lapses in judgement they had not been making over the last few weeks.
The Panthers lost 30-14 to the Dallas Cowboys Sunday at Bank of America Stadium, and did not feel that close. It was the kind of performance that they had not put on tape in over a month and a half.
While Quarterback Cooper Rush was not spectacular, he threw for 214 yards and a career-high three touchdown passes. Dallas’ defense, which has been maligned through the majority of the season, forced four Bryce Young turnovers and sacked the second-year quarterback six times as the Cowboys hammered the Panthers for their third win in the past four games.
After being victorious in a couple of games prior to the bye and coming back from Germany where they defeated the New York Football Giants, to drop three games to playoff contenders by a combined 12 points, the latest of those being the Philadelphia Eagles, the Panthers were feeling upbeat and good about themselves and something resembling confidence.
They were also favored in a game for the first time in 33 games, but just like that 2022 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, a 24-16 loss at home, they were not able to back it up and make it happen.
The Panthers committed four costly turnovers, which the Cowboys turned into 10 points. But the way they turned it over added to the misery. Their first drive was a recipe for success, 13 plays, 72 yards, chewing up over eight minutes of the clock. But Young got too cute with the rock and fumbled on a scramble, giving away a golden scoring opportunity and setting the tone for the rest of the day.
Young fumbled twice, once on a sack, once while scrambling, threw an interception that was tipped and then another one late, and had another ball knocked loose by Micah Parsons that his guys recovered.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe offensive line left a lot to be desired and protection was also a problem, taking a step back from another recent positive trend. The Panthers had only surrendered 22 sacks in the first 13 games of the season, but the Cowboys got to Young six times on Sunday.
“It says that we are not going to give up,” said edge rusher Micah Parsons, who had two sacks. “As long as I’m a part of this unit and we believe in each other. We are fighting for each other at this point. The record is the record, but it’s a special feeling when you can fight for each other.”
The six sacks were the most allowed by the Panthers this season.
“When they put us in this mode where we have to play behind, where we have to throw the ball and flip the field to score some points, we were playing into their hands,” Panthers coach Dave Canales said. “Certainly put us in a brand of football that we don’t really want to play.”
Coupled with errors of the big and small variety, including two false starts by Robert Hunt, one by Adam Thielen, and others, along with an unnecessary roughness penalty on special teams’ captain Sam Franklin Jr., there were more issues that rose to the surface than the Panthers could overcome.
Their rush defense did not show up at all, also allowing an embarrassing 211 rushing yards, and were unable to get off the field for long stretches.
Young has opened some eyes and changed some minds of late, and he also set a new record Sunday by airing it out. His 83-yard touchdown pass to rookie Jalen Coker in the second quarter was the longest completion of his career. His previous long this year was a 46, and he had a 48 in 2023.
Panthers Xavier Legette left the game in the second half, and was reported as questionable to return with a groin injury. The rookie wideout was spotted on an exercise bike on the sidelines trying to get loose before retreating to the bench. He had a quiet game with two catches for 7 yards before leaving.
The Panthers were getting very thin at the linebacker position in the first half.
They were already without rookie starter Trevin Wallace, inactive due to of a shoulder injury. And then Josey Jewell was called off the field by the league spotters. He was frustrated with the decision and ran to the blue tent. Before he could come back out and retrieve his helmet, Claudin Cherelus went down.
That left them with just two healthy inside linebackers, practice squad call-up Jacoby Windmon and special teamer Jon Rhattigan. Rhattigan came on to play his first snap of defense all year and was in the area of the Cooper Rush fumble that DJ Johnson fell on and recovered, which led to the Coker touchdown. Cherelus and Jewell returned to the field in the second half.
The Cowboys host Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next Sunday.
The Panthers host Marvin Harrison Jr. and the Arizona Cardinals next Sunday in their final home game of the season.
