CHARLOTTE (CHARLOTTE SPORTS LIVE) — The Panthers went into Sunday’s game off a two-game winning streak and even though it was a loss against the Chiefs, the team’s effort was not only evident but refreshing to see.
FINAL SCORE: 30 to 27
It didn’t take long for Kansas City to get on the board. Three plays after the opening kickoff was returned for 56 yards, Patrick Mahomes found tight end Noah Gray wide-open for a 35-yard touchdown to take a 7-0 lead less than 90 seconds into the game.
The Chiefs’ last drive of the half ended the same way as its first- with a Noah Gray touchdown for the Chiefs. The Panthers then took the ball 59 yards in 30 seconds where they got their third field goal to cut the lead to 20-9. Unfortunately, during that final drive of the half, rookie tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders landed on his head and had to be carted off the field. Sanders was taken to the hospital for further evaluation.
Although they didn’t score any touchdowns, Bryce Young and the offense looked good in the first half. Young went 10/18 for 177 yards compared to Mahomes’ 19/24 for 206 yards (and those two touchdowns to Gray).
Coming out of halftime, it took 15 plays for the Panthers to score their first touchdown of the game by David Moore. The Panthers attempted a two-point conversion, but an incomplete pass to Adam Thielen fell short. Luckily, Pineiro’s field goal kick was successful. At the 6:20 mark, the Cheifs finally get the ball in the third quarter.
It didn’t take long for the Chiefs to score a third touchdown before sending it back to the Panthers with 2:42 left in the quarter. Minutes into the fourth quarter, Pineiro makes another successful field goal; the Panthers are behind by 8 points. With the ball back in the Chief’s possession, the offensive line does a good job of halting their advances.
With less than two minutes left on the clock, thanks to a defensive pass interference, Hubbard scores the team’s second touchdown and two-point conversion, resulting in a tie. The tie is short-lived after a successful field goal from the Chiefs.
Despite the loss, the Panthers showed a new side of themselves offensively and defensively, and hopefully, it will follow them into next Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers. Kickoff is at 1 p.m.