Panthers win second game of the season with 9-7 victory over Falcons, help Cowboys clinch playoff spot
Eddy Piñeiro's three field goals were enough to down the Falcons
The Carolina Panthers won their second game of the season.
To repeat: The Panthers snapped their six-game losing streak, and moved to 2-12 thanks to their 9-7 upset win over the Atlanta Falcons.
Kicker Eddy Piñeiro played the part of hero by connecting on all three of the field goals he tried on a rainy Sunday afternoon in Charlotte.
With only one second remaining in the game, his third field goal gave Carolina the go-ahead score.
”We have a lot of confidence in our kicker," Panthers interim coach Chris Tabor said. “We're on the 2- or 3-yard line, the ball right in the middle. I like our chances. And that way you end the game right there.
“I was really happy for our guys that they were able to break through. Sometimes you knock at the door all of the time and no one answers. And sooner or later, you have to kick it down. And we did that tonight.”
Quarterback Bryce Young earned his second career win with a productive performance. He threw for 167 yards on 18-of-24 passing, with no turnovers.
Running back Chuba Hubbard, who carried the ball 22 times, led all skill players on either side with 87 yards on the ground and 16 more receiving. Carolina receiver Adam Thielen hauled in four catches for 43 yards.
Hubbard was instructed to dive for the first down, instead of going for the touchdown, so the Panthers could take more time off the clock. Once he secured the fresh set of downs, Young kneeled down three-consecutive plays to set up Pineiro.
“We all have faith in each other and we all believe in each other,” Young said. “It was just a great opportunity. Being in the huddle and being able to look at each other, we all had the same look in our eyes. We all had confidence that we would be able to put it together.”
With the win, the Panthers helped the Dallas Cowboys clinch their spot in the playoffs and hurt the Falcons (6-8).
How'd we get here?
Packers lost
Falcons lost
Lions won pic.twitter.com/oMQQYDXnnD— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) December 17, 2023
Atlanta was trying to keep pace with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South race, but have now fallen a game behind after the Bucs beat the Green Bay Packers and moved to 7-7.
Adding insult to injury, the New Orleans Saints thrashed the New York Giants, so Atlanta now drops to third place in the division and loses its footing in the jam-packed NFC playoff picture.
