In his 20th career NFL start, Bryce Young finally got to line up in the victory formation to seal a win for the Carolina Panthers.
“In the moment of it, you don’t think about, but looking back on it it’s a good thing,” Young said, smiling.
Winning has been rare for Young, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft. He has faced a tough start to his NFL journey, losing 17 of his first 19 games and being benched for veteran Andy Dalton earlier this season after two poor performances.
But Young stepped up big on Sunday. He completed 16 of 26 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown, leading a winning drive that helped the Panthers defeat the New Orleans Saints 23-22, breaking a five-game losing streak.
Chuba Hubbard contributed by rushing for 72 yards and two touchdowns, including a crucial 16-yard touchdown run with 2:18 left in the game, marking Carolina’s first victory against New Orleans since Young became the starter.
Hubbard praised Young for his determination and leadership.
“All of the adversity he has had to deal with, he has handled it great,” Hubbard said. “He has stayed a leader and been a great teammate and kept working. For him to get this and play as well as he did, he deserves it.”
Despite the win, coach Dave Canales did not confirm whether Young would start again next Sunday against the New York Giants in Munich.
The Panthers (2-7) also saw strong performances from rookies, with tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders catching four passes for 87 yards, and wide receiver Xavier Legette making a big 26-yard catch on the winning drive to bounce back from a heavy 47-10 loss to their rivals in Week 1.
For the Saints (2-7), Alvin Kamara had a big game, rushing for 155 yards on 29 carries and catching six passes for 60 yards, but the team has now lost seven games in a row under struggling coach Dennis Allen.
Derek Carr had a tough time in his return after missing three games due to an oblique injury. He completed 18 of 31 passes for 236 yards and threw one touchdown.
His performance was made harder when Saints’ top receiver Chris Olave left the game with a concussion in the first quarter. Olave was taken to the hospital for observation but was later cleared to go home with the team. He suffered a hard hit from Panthers safety Xavier Woods while trying to catch a pass. The team confirmed he had full movement in all his limbs.
The Saints started the season strong at 2-0, but things have gone downhill since then.
“I’m hurting right now,” Allen said. “I’m hurting for our city, for our organization and these guys in the locker room. They put their heart and soul into it. To keep coming out on the negative end is quite challenging.”
The Panthers, who have had the worst record in the NFL since 2018, understood this struggle. However, they were determined to win this game.
While trailing by five points and facing a third-and-10, Young connected with Legette for a 26-yard pass during the key drive. After that, Demario Davis was called for pass interference on the next throw to Sanders, giving the Panthers another first down.
Hubbard then charged up the middle to score his second touchdown of the game. The Canadian-born running back said he never considered taking a knee before reaching the end zone to run down the clock.
“I felt like based on the offense and defense, we played complementary ball,” Hubbard said. “I had a feeling we were going to get a good stop on defense.”
However, the Panthers made things tougher for themselves as Young was penalized for a delay of game and then sacked during the next two-point conversion attempt, keeping the score at a one-point difference.
The Saints, needing just a field goal to win, started from their 20-yard line but didn’t get very far. The Panthers’ defense stepped up, with Jadeveon Clowney making a crucial sack on second down. Dane Jackson then broke up Carr’s fourth-and-four pass intended for Cedrick Wilson along the left sideline, securing the win.
“The guys had a finish mentality,” Canales said. “It was back and forth for a while, but for our guys to play their calls and execute the way we want them to, and make plays, they have to be proud of that. I can’t be more fired up.”
