Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — After breaking the pocket and racing down the field for a 24-yard gain, Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young briefly posed to signal the first down in a rare display of confidence for the second-year quarterback.

Young didn’t put up good numbers Sunday, completing 15 of 25 passes for 126 yards with a touchdown, but he played mostly error-free football while leading the Panthers to a 20-17 overtime victory against the New York Giants in Germany.

It was the first time since the end of the 2022 season that the Panthers won consecutive games.

Young is just 4-17 as an NFL starter.

And while his skill set falls far short of matching someone like multiple Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft is starting to show signs of growth and leadership — as well as confidence — as the Panthers (3-7) look to salvage an otherwise miserable season and take steps to improve.

Although coach Dave Canales wouldn’t say who will start Nov. 24 against Mahomes and the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs after the bye week, it seems almost a foregone conclusion that he’ll stick with Young .

“I’m so proud of Bryce,” Canales said. “I’m so proud to take the next step again. I thought he had a great day. I thought it could have been a fantastic day. I thought that a few bullets had escaped us on several occasions and that could have made this a truly exceptional day. But he handled the rush well. He took care of the different cover looks and all that.

What works

Just days after being rewarded with a four-year contract extension worth $33 million, RB Chuba Hubbard ran for a career-high 153 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries and had four catches for 16 yards. This, despite Hubbard saying he briefly dislocated his knee in the second half when he fumbled after being bent backwards during a tackle. Hubbard continued to play.

Hubbard was clearly the team’s MVP this season. A patient and intelligent runner who has a knack for reading when holes open, Hubbard rushed for 818 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 5.1 yards per carry.

“I expected nothing less,” Canales said. “It’s the consistency of the guy. He came back and ran hard and ran the races the way we wanted him to, versus the different looks and they made it difficult for us. But we found some wins in there and we were able to run the ball the way we wanted.

What needs help

The Panthers’ run defense continues to be a problem as it allowed the Giants to put up 167 rushing yards on 34 carries and two touchdowns. However, defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson made the biggest play of the game against his former team, robbing Tyrone Tracy of the football on the first play from scrimmage in overtime deep in New York territory to set up the game-winning field goal from Eddy Pineiro from 36 meters.

Store

Panthers ILB Josey Jewell, a free agent this offseason, had a huge game in Germany with six tackles including one for a loss, an interception and a fumble recovery that led to the game-winning kick. Jewell, who has struggled with injuries this season, was all over the field and nearly had a second interception. Granted, this happened against a Daniel Jones-led offense that has struggled, but Jewell’s big game was a welcome addition to a unit that has struggled all season. The Panthers also got strong contributions from OLB DJ Wonnum in his first game for Carolina and he missed the first nine games due to injury.

Stock falling

The Panthers got a win, but it was sloppy and featured more costly mental errors. Carolina was penalized 10 times for 87 yards. Carolina averages 7.2 penalties per game, which ranks near the bottom of the league. “We have to clean up the penalties,” Canales said. “It’s something we’ll attack and talk about with our guys because it’s definitely given them more opportunities, but for me it’s about that week-to-week improvement.”

Injuries

RB Miles Sanders suffered a foot/ankle injury in Sunday’s game and did not return. The good news for the Panthers is that rookie Jonathan Brooks should be ready to play after the bye week, giving them depth behind Hubbard. The team had hoped to activate Brooks in Munich, but ultimately decided to wait another two weeks. Additionally, LB DJ Johnson suffered a concussion.

Key number

9 — Where the Panthers would draft in 2025 through Sunday’s games.

Next steps

The players were given a week off before returning next Monday to begin preparations for the Chiefs on November 24.

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