With QB Bryce Young (4 turnovers) in full regression, Panthers get pummeled by Cowboys
The Carolina Panthers reminded everybody exactly how bad they can be Sunday, regressing into a team that clears out its home stadium in the third quarter because its own fans can no longer stand to watch.
Favored to win for the first time in 34 games, the Panthers instead lost, 30-14, to the Dallas Cowboys — a football brand name that has undergone its own regression this season.
Quarterback Bryce Young, whose “Good Bryce, Bad Bryce” on-field persona has been well-established over the past two seasons, trotted out Bad Bryce for this one. Young committed a career-high four turnovers — losing two fumbles and throwing two interceptions.
The fumbles were the worst of the four turnovers, coming as they did to ruin a promising drive inside the red zone on Carolina’s very first possession and then on the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter when Carolina was only trailing 10-7.
From there, Dallas (6-8) pummeled Carolina (3-11) on a brisk, gray day where the temperatures hovered in the 40s and felt colder. The whole vibe felt very much like last season, as Young was sacked a season-high six times and the wrapping-paper thin Carolina defense allowed 211 yards rushing, 199 yards passing and three touchdown passes to backup Dallas quarterback Cooper Rush.
Young characterized his play as “bad” and “not good enough,” and that was certainly true of the entire team. “Can’t put the ball on the floor like that,” Young said. And, later: “That’s 100% on me. I’ve got to be better.”
After going 2-3 over the previous five games, with all of them decided by six points or fewer, the Panthers got blown out again.
“I think we played really sloppy,” Panthers guard Robert Hunt said.
“The biggest part of it is just the ball security, right?” Panthers coach Dave Canales said. “Making sure that we end the down with the ball.”
Sounds simple, but the Panthers did it poorly. Young threw to the wrong guy on one of his interceptions — trying to force the ball to a well-covered Adam Thielen instead of a wide open Ja’Tavion Sanders — and then badly underthrew his other one. The fumbles were partly because Dallas was overwhelming the Panthers’ offensive line, but also because Young wasn’t being careful enough with the ball.
But it wasn’t all on Young. Special teamer Sam Franklin, who two weeks ago tried to get into the opposing locker room to start a fight, this week got a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty that helped Dallas to its final score. Xavier Woods picked up his own personal foul (this one felt reputational more than deserved) and also got beaten in the end zone for a touchdown just when it seemed the Panthers had the play well-covered. And there were plenty more errors — false-start penalties, missed tackles and the other sort of stuff that poor football teams do.
The Panthers try every week to get running back Chuba Hubbard going, but the Cowboys stuffed that idea (10 carries, 32 yards for Hubbard).
Said Dallas defensive end Micah Parsons, who had two of the Cowboys’ six sacks: “We stopped that run. … They felt like they had to put some points on the board and get after it and get away from the run because it wasn’t hitting early on. It allowed us to be able to get after the quarterback.”
And that they did, as Young’s O-line looked very much like the one he played in front of last year. “It’s the NFL,” Hunt said. “You got to come ready to play or get embarrassed. … Hopefully this week will humble us a little bit.”
You would think the Panthers were already pretty humble, given that they came into the game 3-10. And now, consider:
▪ Carolina has missed the playoffs for seven seasons in a row (in other words, in every year of owner David Tepper’s tenure).
▪ Tepper’s overall record as the Panthers owner is 34-79.
▪ Bryce Young’s overall record as an NFL starter is 4-21.
All that sounds depressing, although it wasn’t all terrible Sunday. Young took advantage of a blown coverage by the Cowboys and hit rookie Jalen Coker with an 83-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter that briefly electrified the crowd. He also made a nice scramble that resulted in a 6-yard TD run late in the game.
But after a month’s worth of looking like he might be the answer, Young mostly looked Sunday like the sort of quarterback who makes you question everything about the team. Canales did say afterward that Young will start again next week, as Carolina plays its final home game of the season against Arizona on Dec. 22.
“One game doesn’t define you,” Hubbard said in Young’s defense. “He’s played great over the last how many weeks? Mistakes are going to be made. I mean, it’s the NFL. It’s not easy.”
Definitely true. Especially when your quarterback turns the ball over four times.
