The Carolina Panthers, despite riding a recent hot streak, were unable to pull away with the victory on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, 17-7.
Despite the defense managing to hold quarterback Tyler Shough and the Saints’ offense to just 17 points in week 10, the Panthers allowed the rookie to throw for 282 yards and two touchdowns, while also allowing 122 rushing yards.
To make matters worse, Carolina’s offense was unable to effectively move the ball on Sunday. Running back Rico Dowdle had his first off-game as the team’s starter, rushing for 53 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries.
In addition to the lack of support on the ground, Panthers’ quarterback Bryce Young failed to get it going through the air, finishing with 124 passing yards and one interception.
Following the brutal loss at home, Young voiced his frustrations to reporters on Sunday, stating that he was “definitely frustrated.”
“I don’t like to lose, nobody likes to lose,” Young said. “I’m definitely frustrated, but that frustration isn’t with the team, [it’s] not with anybody, [it’s] frustrating because we didn’t get the win...Again, it’s not just me. We are all competitors; we all want to win. But at the end of the day, I’m grateful to be here. I have all the confidence in the world in these guys.”
Prior to Sunday’s matchup, Carolina managed to win four of their last five games, including a surprising week nine victory against the Green Bay Packers. The incredible run led the Panthers to a 5-4 record, with a chance to extend their playoff hopes against a struggling Saints team.
However, this was not the case.
It’s clear that the success of offense heavily relies on the performance of Dowdle, as the Panthers are 4-0 this season when the 27-year-old halfback records 75 yards or more on the ground. New Orleans did a terrific job of limiting Dowdle on the ground, which forced head coach Dave Canales to rely on Young and the passing game.
With the game on the line, Carolina had a perfect opportunity at the beginning of the fourth quarter to take the lead. Unfortunately for fans, the hope of a comeback was crushed after Young threw an interception and put the Saints in excellent field position to extend the lead.
Now, the Panthers will look to have a bounce-back performance in Week 11 against the Atlanta Falcons on the road.