After Bryce Young led the Carolina Panthers on a 17-play, 90-yard scoring drive to beat the Atlanta Falcons 9-7 on a field goal as time expired, interim head coach Chris Tabor declared the No. 1 overall pick a “winner.”
That statement may be a little premature given Young is just 2-11 as a starter, but this was the type of win that could give the rookie a much-needed confidence boost.
It was Carolina’s first win since Oct. 29 when Young led a similar drive late in the fourth quarter to beat the Houston Texans 15-13, a victory that also came on Eddy Pineiro's field goal as the clock expired.
Those two games show that Young does have poise under pressure.
That's a promising sign providing the Panthers can put more talent around him — most notably on the offensive line and at the wide receiver position — so that he can potentially develop into the franchise quarterback the organization so desperately needs.
Young was 5 of 5 for 68 yards on the final drive and the Panthers chewed up the final 7:35 off the clock.
It was a giant relief for a team that entered the weekend with the NFL's worst record and having lost six straight games.
“There’s a lot of joy for sure,” Young said. “It really comes from us wanting to see each other succeed. We want to see each other win. We put the work in. We trust in each other, and we haven’t been able to see a lot of those results this year, but it’s always great when you get to see that and it actually gets to come to fruition on Sunday.”
A big reason for Young's success is he finally got some help from receivers not named Adam Thielen.
On the final drive, tight end Tommy Tremble hauled in a 19-yard catch, rookie receiver Jonathan Mingo made a tough grab for a 20-yard gain and veteran wideout D.J. Chark added a 18-yard toe-tapping reception near the sideline in a steady downpour.
That type of production has been largely absent in a season in which Young has failed to eclipse 250 yards passing in a single game.
“Those weren’t easy catches out there, and I was really proud of our guys, really concentrating and making those plays,” Tabor said. “The thing that I saw today that you can’t argue with is that there were plays that needed to be made, and they made the plays. So, you can say, hey, did they take a step? Based off of that game, I’m going to say they are. So now next week that’s the standard, and now can we move it forward and push it forward?”
But the Panthers still have a ways to go on offense.
Carolina repeatedly gets off to slow starts and has managed just 16 touchdowns on offense in 14 games.
WHAT’S WORKING
The Panthers are slowly figuring out they're a much better run-blocking team than a pass-blocking one.
The Panthers had another decent day running the football, picking up 129 yards on the ground on 36 carries led by Chuba Hubbard's 87 yards on 22 carries.
The Panthers effectively used some jet sweeps to wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette resulting in 31 yards on four carries. It was a nice change of pace and caught the Falcons off guard.
The passing game, outside of the final drive, was largely ineffective. Young had just 99 yards through the air and was sacked three times prior to the winning field-goal drive.
WHAT NEEDS HELP
Despite the victory, the Panthers offense remains a mess particularly in the first half. Carolina went into the locker room at halftime trailing 7-3, marking the seventh straight game the offense has managed just three points in the first half.
STOCK UP
Panthers safety Xavier Woods spent some of the offseason being teased by teammates for dropping interceptions last season. But Woods' pick of Desmond Ridder on Sunday at the Carolina 5 not only prevented the Falcons from making it a double-digit game, but also ultimately led to Pineiro's winning kick.
“He’s at the Jugs machine all the time after practice," Hubbard said. “I’m with him all the time, slapping his arm and hitting him. He works. He has worked this whole year and to see him finally get his flowers and see the hard work pay off feels good. I’m happy for him. It got us the win.”
STOCK DOWN
The Panthers offensive line allowed three more sacks on Sunday, which means Young has now been sacked 51 times in 13 games, an average of nearly four per game. This is a group that has suffered several injuries at the guard spot and needs to be upgraded in the offseason.
INJURIES
Cornerback Donte Jackson left Sunday's game in the fourth quarter with a back injury. His status moving forward is uncertain.
KEY NUMBERS
0 — Number of plays the Panthers have run this season while leading in the fourth quarter. Both of Carolina’s wins have come on the final play of the game when they were trailing before the game-winning kick. No team since at least 1991 has gone an entire season without leading in fourth quarter at beginning of any play.
NEXT STEPS
The Panthers host the Green Bay Packers on Christmas Eve.