Biggest takeaways from Panthers' Week 14 loss to Eagles

A pair of three-point, walk-off losses to the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their previous two outings taught the Panthers a few hard lessons. And on Sunday, while nearly pulling off the biggest upset of the season, this growing team proved that they’re still learning how to win.

Week 14’s bitter defeat will always be remembered for the rough day from rookie wide receiver Xavier Legette, who continued his recent case of the dropsies. Even before mishandling the would-be game-tying 32-yard touchdown catch late in the fourth quarter, the 2024 first-round pick failed to complete a few other chain-moving grabs—allowing hits from Eagles defenders to knock the rock loose.

Some self-inflicted wounds also came out of a lack of communication on offense. Carolina’s play-to-play operation was not entirely smooth, as they were called for a pair of delay-of-game penalties and were forced to burn a timeout when the unit could not snap the ball in time.

While the losses have stacked up over the last three weeks, so have the exciting offerings from second-year quarterback Bryce Young.

Once again, Young kept the Panthers alive with the clutch playmaking gene the organization drafted him for in 2023. He handled pressure considerably well—against the NFL’s No. 1-ranked defense, no less—and repeatedly cooked up some masterful gains in out-of-structure settings.

Young, who was born in Wynnewood, Penn., nearly crowned his homecoming by orchestrating a phenomenal game-winning drive—one that began at Carolina’s 3-yard line and should have wound up in the end zone. But again, that Legette drop cost them.

He wrapped up his performance having completed 19 of his 34 throws for 191 yards, a touchdown and an interception—his first since Week 9.

The Panthers, even while facing a white-hot defense, were still able to establish their identity through the ground. Their engine, fourth-year back Chuba Hubbard, rushed for 92 yards and a score while hitting the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his NFL career.

Some uncertainty, however, lies ahead with rookie Jonathon Brooks—who exited the game in the first quarter after sustaining a non-contact knee injury. The knee in question was the same one he spent the last year rehabbing.

Head coach Dave Canales did not offer any substantial updates on Brooks after the game. But hopefully, the 21-year-old is not dealing with another serious setback.

Here’s to the Panthers defense—a unit that was in line to be blown off the field in Week 14.

Eagles running back Saquon Barkley rushed for 124 yards on 20 carries, which is quite low for a run defense (the NFL’s worst, in fact) that was expected to combust at the feet of the Offensive Player of the Year favorite. Carolina also held quarterback Jalen Hurts to 108 passing yards, with wideout A.J. Brown accounting for just 43 of them.

The Panthers finished up with four sacks of Hurts, bringing their total from the last three weeks to a very respectable 13.

All things considered, this may have been the most impressive performance from defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and company this season.