Carolina Panthers Escape Atlanta Falcons in Overtime 30-27 Behind Bryce Young’s Career Day
It was yet another thrilling game between the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons, as both teams seemingly bring out the best in each other whenever they match up. Thankfully for the Panthers, the outcome swayed in their favor once again, as they were able to move to 6-5 on Sunday thanks to a career performance from Quarterback Bryce Young.
Young and McMillan light up Falcons’ defense
Young continued his career resurgence as the former Heisman Award winner threw for a career-high 448 yards along with 3 touchdowns in the Panthers’ victory. Of course, those 448 yards were helped out by Young’s new favorite target in Panthers’ rookie receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who had a career-high 130 yards receiving as well as 2 touchdowns for the game.
Penix Jr. Suffers Knee Injury As Falcons’ Woes Continue To Mount
Things seemed to be looking up for the Falcons in this game, as Atlanta held a 21-16 lead heading into the midway point of the third quarter. However, things quickly unraveled after Falcons Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. suffered a knee injury, which caused him to miss the remainder of the game.
The Former Washington Huskie had been dealing with a bone bruise in his left knee since Atlanta’s Week 7 game versus the 49ers. Although the Falcons have not yet announced how severe the new knee injury is, it more than likely will end Penix Jr’s sophomore season, given how Atlanta’s season has gone so far.
Falcons Head Coach Raheem Morris’ Seat Gets Hotter
Speaking of how the Falcons’ season has gone, after Atlanta started the season 3-2, the dirty birds have now dropped five straight games to bring their record to 3-7. It’s been a rough two seasons in Atlanta since the hiring of Head Coach Raheem Morris, who has gone just 11-16 at the helm. After this latest loss, which saw the Panthers complete their first season sweep of the Falcons since 2013, Morris’s job security is likely in serious jeopardy.
Panthers Head Coach Dave Canales Shows He Was Right For the Job
On the flip side of the Panthers in terms of head coaching, it’s been quite the turnaround with Dave Canales at the helm. Despite some initial pushback from Panthers fans following Canales’ hire, that pushback seems to have shifted toward hope and positivity.
In his second season in Charlotte, Canales has the Panthers sitting with an over .500 record through 11 games for the first time since 2017. This impressive turnaround of a franchise that was in a seemingly endless rebuild, Canales can expect to see some Coach of the Year buzz at the end of the season.
Carolina Moves Up NFC South Standings
In a division that has seen a fair share of close division title races over the last few years, this season is turning out no different on that front. With the Panthers’ win and Buccaneers’ loss this past Sunday, Tampa Bay’s three-game lead in the division has all but evaporated.
The collapse of the Bucs has allowed Carolina to come within striking distance of the NFC South crown. That means with two games yet to be played between these two teams, football fans are in for another nail-biting finish in the NFC South.
