Young gets first NFL win as Panthers edge the Texans

The Carolina Panthers secured their first victory of the season against the Houston Texans with a score of 15-13 at Bank of America Stadium. The game was a defensive slugfest, with both teams showcasing their defensive prowess.

The game was a battle between the NFL’s top two draft picks, Bryce Young of the Panthers and C.J. Stroud of the Texans. Young, the No. 1 overall pick, threw for 235 yards and a touchdown, while Stroud, the second overall pick, completed 16 of 24 passes for 140 yards and ran for a touchdown.

The first quarter of the game was a defensive standoff, with neither team able to score. The second quarter saw the Texans take the lead with a score of 7-6. However, the Panthers managed to regain the lead in the third quarter with a 37-yard field goal, making the score 12-7.

In the fourth quarter, Stroud completed a 31-yard pass to Noah Brown, setting up a 1-yard touchdown run on a quarterback sneak. This put the Texans back on top with a score of 13-12. However, a delay of game penalty on third down pushed the Texans out of field-goal range and forced a punt, setting up Young’s winning drive.

The game’s climax came when Eddy Pineiro of the Panthers made a 23-yard field goal as time expired, securing the Panthers’ victory. This win helped the Panthers snap a 56-game losing streak in games they trailed at any point in the fourth quarter, the longest in the NFL since at least 1991.

In terms of injuries, the Texans’ rookie C Jarrett Patterson was carted off the field midway through the fourth quarter with a lower leg injury. On the Panthers’ side, OLB Justin Houston left the game with a hamstring injury.

The game was a testament to the defensive capabilities of both teams, with the Panthers managing to hold the Texans to 13 points and the Texans limiting the Panthers to 15 points. Despite the loss, the Texans showed promise with two lengthy drives that ended in touchdowns. 

Here are some of the major takeaways for both teams after Sunday’s game.

Bryce Young vs. CJ Stroud

A lot was made about the two quarterbacks ahead of this game. The two contrasting seasons between them and this game was bound to be a battle of the top two picks and the former Alabama man came out on top as he played a clean performance as he threw 22-of-31 for 235 yards and a touchdown, hitting Tommy Tremble for a touchdown pass in the second quarter.

Young’s 103.6 passer rating was his highest of the season, and that included a 40-yard shot to Jonathan Mingo, his longest completion of the year. This was an important win for Young as he was able to get his first NFL victory and show why he was picked by the Panthers to be their franchise leading QB. In what was his best performance of the season so far, it will be an encouraging sign that for Frank Reich as his QB was a major reason why they avoided a 0-7 start, which would have been the franchise’s worst dating back to 1998.

Even though the score was low, Young was able to make enough plays including a 15-play, 86-yard drive, set up the game-winning field goal, demonstrating his leadership and potential as the team’s future. 

CJ Stroud, who has been having the better season out of the two, struggled on Sunday as he completed 16 of 24 passes for 140 yards and a rushing touchdowns. Stroud’s recent performance was characterised by a significant drop in passing yards, hitting a season-low of only 140 yards which is uncharacteristic given he has been near the top end of the league in passing yards.

A contributing factor to this decline was the dearth of explosive plays throughout the game. The longest pass play for the Texans stretched only to 31 yards and was primarily attributed to yards gained after the catch. Stroud made just two attempts that exceeded 20 yards, and regrettably, neither of them resulted in a completed pass.

It’s worth noting that Stroud’s initial five games of the season consistently delivered passing yardage of 240 or more. However, his most recent two outings have seen a significant downturn, with yardage figures of 199 and now a mere 140.

Stroud acknowledged the pressing need to emphasise running the ball and generating more explosive plays. He also hinted at a potential necessity for him to enhance his relationship with the coaching staff, alluding to earning their trust as a key aspect. Expressing his views on the matter, Stroud emphasised the importance of harnessing the team’s abundant talent and striving for the desired explosiveness in their play. He conveyed, “I feel like the talent we have, we’ve got to use it, and we’ve got to be explosive like we want to be.”

Reflecting on Stroud’s optimal performance, it’s evident that he excels when the team can execute explosive plays, harkening back to previous successful instances such as his connections with Tank Dell and Nico Collins during the Jacksonville game.

Defensive strengths

When you look at a game like this, you would think that the offensive was inefficient. To an extent, yes however in this game defence was the biggest factor why the score was low and why the game was close. 

The Panthers’ defence was instrumental in the victory, limiting the Texans to just 229 yards of total offence. They held C.J. Stroud to a season-low 140 passing yards and allowed just 3.7 yards per rushing attempt.The Panthers’ defence put immense pressure on the Texans’ offence and stifled their progress throughout the game. Led by standout performances from their linebackers and defensive line, the Panthers’ defence executed strategic plays and made crucial stops when it mattered most.

In particular, LB Frankie Luvu was all over the field and gave CJ Stroud all sorts of hell. He finished with 12 tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss, and two pass breakups (which don’t count the one on the 2-point try). He definitely gets the game ball on that side.

The defence also held the dynamic duo of Nico Collins and Tank Dell to a combined 46 receiving yards. While their defence played well, their pass rush had issues. Left tackle Ikem Ekwonu had a particularly troubling game, giving way to a monstrous performance from Texans defensive end Jonathan Greenard, who stacked up a game-high 2.5 sacks.

Despite the Panthers recording more yards and first downs in the first 30 minutes, the Texans’ defence shined and limited the Panthers’ overall offensive production to 224 net yards of offence, with only one touchdown on four red-zone trips for Carolina.

Talking about red-zone, the Texans’ defence performed well in the red zone, allowing just one touchdown on four Carolina red-zone trips, including a fourth-down stop at the Houston two-yard line in the second quarter. They also were able to apply significant pressure on Young as they recorded 10 quarterback hits, nine tackles for loss, and sacked Bryce Young six times, and held the Panthers to 15 points and made a key goal line stand in the first half. The defence also managed to stifle Carolina’s run game as they managed to get 44 rushing yards.

In terms of key performers on the Houston Texans’ defence in the game against the Carolina Panthers, there were several notable players. Defensive end Brian Burns was a standout performer, recording 2.5 sacks and applying significant pressure on Panthers’ quarterback Bryce Young throughout the game. Defensive tackle Derrick Brown also had a strong game, making five tackles and breaking up one pass.

The game was a defensive minded showcase, not a masterclass but a game in which the defence most definitely won the game for the Panthers despite the game-winning field goal.

Texans penalties and turnovers

The Texans have maintained a strong sense of discipline throughout the season. However, against the Panthers, they found themselves plagued by costly penalties that extended their opponent’s drives and posed challenges for their own offence. Houston incurred a total of 10 penalties, accumulating 70 yards in contrast to the Panthers’ three penalties for 20 yards.

One particularly detrimental penalty occurred during the second quarter. The Panthers faced a third-and-10 situation from their 40-yard line with just under five minutes remaining in the first half. Defensive end Will Anderson Jr. and safety Jalen Pitre executed a shared sack on Bryce Young.

Unfortunately, cornerback Ka’dar Hollman was flagged for a defensive holding penalty, subsequently awarding the Panthers an automatic first down. This sequence culminated in a Carolina touchdown, narrowing the Texans’ lead to 7-6 before half-time.

However, the most costly penalties transpired in the fourth quarter. With a 13-12 lead and only 6:28 left in the game, the Texans encountered a third-and-5 scenario on the Carolina 35-yard line. A field goal would provide a valuable four-point lead, requiring the Panthers to score a touchdown to seize the advantage.

Regrettably, the Texans’ delay of game penalty set them back five yards and out of field goal range. Quarterback Stroud believed he had called for the ball in a timely manner, but the referees determined that the play clock had expired. He acknowledged the need for improvement in terms of huddle management, pacing, and snap execution.

The Texans were left with no choice but to punt, placing the ball at the Panthers’ 9-yard line. Subsequently, the Panthers embarked on an 86-yard drive, culminating in a game-winning field goal.

It was uncharacteristic of the Texans to commit such errors. Defensive end Anderson’s offsides and cornerback Shaq Griffin’s defensive pass interference penalties on that crucial drive further complicated the situation, awarding Carolina an automatic first down and advancing them into Houston territory.

Defensive coordinator Ryans emphasised the challenges posed by self-inflicted penalties, considering them a hindrance to the team’s performance. Mitigating these errors and negative plays is essential to regaining their winning form.

What’s next?

The Panthers get their first win of the season and move to 1-6 as they will prepare to host the Indianapolis Colts (3-5) next Sunday in hopes of getting their second win, while the Texans move to 3-4 on the season and miss the opportunity to best their record from last season. They will also head back home to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4) at NRG Stadium as they will both look to recover from defeats and get to 4 wins.