Bryce Young accounted for five touchdowns as the Panthers ended their season on the highest of notes.
Bryce Young threw for 251 yards and three touchdowns while running for another pair of scores to help the Carolina Panthers end their season with a 44-38 win.
First Quarter
The Panthers won the coin toss and deferred their possession to the second half. The Falcons went to the ground game early to pick up their first first down. They started to sprinkle in some Michael Penix pass attempts as the drive continued, and he delivered a couple of dots. The drive stalled out thanks to a drop and some play in the secondary, and Riley Patterson squeaked in his field goal attempt.
The ensuing Panthers drive got off to a very inauspicious start. Bryce Young hit Xavier Legette on a crosser, and Legette was hit in the tailbone and limped off the field. On the second play, Miles Sanders slipped into the hole and fell down for about two yards. The drive got going with Adam Thielen making a full extension catch on a ball down the sideline. That was followed by a double pass that ended with Jalen Coker hitting Miles Sanders for another big gain. It was enough for the Panthers to get into field goal range, and that’s where the drive stalled out. Eddy Pineiro chipped home his field goal attempt.
The Panthers defense did a good job making the next Falcons’ drive more grindy and disjointed. They stayed on the ground but were mostly limited to short gains as they picked up just enough yardage for first downs. Drake London dropped a third down pass to set up a 4th and 4 in which the Panthers defense got enough heat on the rookie quarterback to force an incomplete pass and turnover on downs.
The first quarter ended with the Panthers facing a third down at midfield.
Second Quarter
Mike Boone took the third down carry and for a moment it liked he might break through for a huge run, but he just got tripped up coming out of the hole. Legette, who returned after a few snaps from his bruised glutes, sent AJ Terrell to the ground with a juke on a screen and scurried away for a first down. The Sanderses picked up the next first down with a couple of nice plays. The Panthers got inside the ten when Young found Legette open, and this time Legette extended and reeled the pass in. On the next play, Young somehow slipped through a few arm tackles to find the end zone.
Drake London picked up 24 yards when two Panthers defenders knocked each other off him as he caught a comeback from Penix. Bijan Robinson ran through a tackle to pick up another big gain on the next play. The Panthers bottled up the run on the next two plays and looked like they might have Penix contained on third down, but the rookie quarterback snuck out the left side of the pocket and found the pylon to tie the game.
After Young found Feleipe Franks for a first down, Raheem Blackshear found a crease and exploded for 27 yards into Falcons territory. A couple plays later, Young found Miles Sanders running down the numbers for a 33 yard touchdown.
The Falcons marched down the field with some intermediate passes from Penix and another big run from Robinson. Robinson punched it in on second and goal to tie the game back up after just six total plays.
The Panthers did nothing with the football and ran very little time off the clock in the process. They had to punt. Penix found Drake London for 20 yards to start the one minute drive attempt. Jedeveon Clowney had a chance at a second down sack, but he whiffed as Penix ducked his head slightly. On the next play, Penix found Ray-Ray McCloud for a 42 yard gain down the left sideline. The Falcons took two shots to Drake London. On both, the Panthers left Shemar Bartholomew on an island. He made a good play on the first but couldn’t get the stop twice in a row. The Falcons took a 24-17 lead into the half.
Third Quarter
The Panthers started the second half with one of those ineffective bubble screens they love so much. They ended up settling for a quick punt that landed short of the returner but got a good bounce and rolled down near the ten yard line.
The Panthers got a gift from old pal Ray-Ray McCloud. Penix threw him a low ball as he was getting walloped by a blitzer. McCloud ended up flinging the ball up in the air as he tried to go down and get it, and it was intercepted by Mike Jackson. On fourth down, Young found Tommy Tremble wide open in the middle of the end zone to tie the game back up at 24.
Tyler Allgeier slashed through the Panthers defense with several carries to move into Panthers territory. The defense finally bowed up and then on third and long, Clowney was able to get the sack he let slip away earlier in the game. It backed the Falcons up to a 53 yard field goal, which replacement kicker Riley Patterson sliced way to the right.
Young picked up first downs with a scramble and a pass to a crossing Jalen Coker. A pair of decent runs by Miles Sanders set the Panthers up at the ten. From there, Young found David Moore on a slant to put the Panthers up by a touchdown with a minute left in the third.
The third quarter ended with the Falcons in Panthers territory after a 39 yard bomb from Penix to London.
Fourth Quarter
The Falcons went back to the ground game and found more success until a holding penalty backed them up. The Panthers let Tyler Allgeier slip away for six or seven extra yards on a second down checkdown that set up the Falcons with a manageable third down. They ended up a yard short but were able to eek out a first on 4th and 1. A couple of penalties backed the Falcons up and then Clowney knocked down a pass to set up 3rd and 20 from the 21. However, Penix hit London with a bullet to score on the next play and re-tie the game.
The Panthers moved into Falcons territory after first downs from Coker and a big run from Raheem Blackshear on 3rd and 2. They tried another double pass, this time from Adam Thielen. Thielen got smoked releasing the pass and David Moore got called for a facemask down the field. Truly a disaster of a trick play. No matter though. On the next play, Bryce Young found Ja’Tavion Sanders with a rope down the left sideline for 28 yards and a first down. A few plays later on a third down, Young escaped the pocket into wide open space on the right side and trotted in for his second rushing touchdown of the day.
The defense continued to do their part contributing to the shootout by allowing Robinson to pick up about 20 yards on two carries to start the drive. Once they got into Panthers territory, they went to the air and repeatedly targeted Drake London. Once that got them inside the ten, they went back to Bijan, who ran the ball in to tie the game at 38 apiece with 46 seconds to go.
The Panthers ticked off 16 seconds with three incomplete passes on their attempt at a game winning drive. Johnny Hekker hit one of his better punts of the season to bleed off precious seconds and back the Falcons up. A penalty on the return team started the Falcons on their own 12 yard line. They elected to hand the ball off and head to overtime.
Overtime
The Panthers won the coin toss and had a chance to win the game with a touchdown drive. Miles Sanders ran for a first down then Young found Tommy Tremble to move out towards midfield. Dave Canales kept the ball in Young’s hands for the most part the rest of the way. He found Jalen Coker with three straight pass attempts, the last of which was a Patrick Mahomes-esque backhand toss. Coker ran it down to the one yard line, where he was held up by an incredible defensive play by Kaden Ellis. On the next play, after a timeout, Miles Sanders powered in for the game winning touchdown.
Overview
For the first time in a while, we enter a Panthers offseason with something that feels like hope. Bryce Young shredded the Falcons defense with six touchdown drives. He accounted for five of the touchdowns himself. He spread the ball around to nine different receivers and hit unlikely targets David Moore, Miles Sanders, and Tommy Tremble for the touchdowns. It was probably the best game of his career, and he picked a great game to do it.
Miles Sanders made his return to the lineup and while he wasn’t nearly the threat that Chuba Hubbard is, on a human level it was nice to see him come back and get another shot. In what was likely his last touch as a Panther, he scored the game winning touchdown.
The defense was terrible, but they have like no players left. It’s whatever.
The Panthers go into the offseason with a decent amount of hope and cap space. They currently hold the eighth overall pick but can slide up to seven if the Raiders beat the Chargers.