The Carolina Panthers are taking away more than just smiles from Sunday’s feel-good win over the Atlanta Falcons.
Here are the biggest lessons from Week 15’s 9-7 victory:
The No. 1 overall pick showed why he was the No. 1 overall pick
There he is!
On Sunday, Bryce Young got the second return on his “Sweet Home Alabama” for “Sweet Caroline” swap, and he had an enormous part in it. The rookie displayed remarkable poise throughout a torturous set of wet and windy conditions, an offering that culminated in a clutch game-winning touch.
Young led the Panthers on a 17-play, 90-yard trek to run out regulation—a possession highlighted by beautiful completions of 18, 19 and 20 yards. Each throw, more difficult than the last, helped set up the walk-off field goal from Eddy Piñeiro and gave us another long-awaited glimpse into why the Panthers organization believes their rookie is “him.”
While we’re still waiting on Young to blow up the box score, as he finished with just 167 passing yards, he showed us what a No. 1 overall pick looks like.
Chuba Hubbard remains the effective engine on offense
Choo-choo!
As expected, it was full steam ahead for Hubbard on a rainy Sunday. He took on 22 carries for 87 hard-fought yards, giving him a combined 278 rushing yards over the past three weeks.
Those three weeks have also seen the third-year back notch loads of 25 attempts and 23 attempts, setting up a hefty average of 23.3 totes per contest. While the Panthers went without a touchdown for its second consecutive game, it has gained some sort of identity in this workhorse.
We should also keep an eye on the offense getting more creative with wideout Ihmir Smith-Marsette, who racked up 31 rushing yards on four takes.
Ejiro Evero probably won't be here much longer
Yeah, sorry to put a bit of a damper on this win. But defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero is continuing to prove why he’ll be a hot commodity for a head-coaching job this offseason.
The Panthers held the Falcons to just 207 yards on the day—with running back Bijan Robinson (14 total yards), wide receiver Drake London (24 receiving yards) and tight end Kyle Pitts (34 receiving yards) going largely silent. Oh, and the unit also created two takeaways on a forced fumble of Robinson and an interception by safety Xavier Woods.
Carolina, through 14 outings, has now allowed just 291.6 yards per game. And given the pile of injuries the group has endured this season, the effectiveness of Evero’s work cannot be understated.
