Loser No. 4
Andy Dalton - Carolina Panthers QB
Bryce Young fought valiantly to prove his fitness after suffering a high ankle sprain against the New York Jets. The Carolina Panthers erred on the side of caution, giving veteran backup Andy Dalton the chance to start once again.
Dalton is experienced, but his best days are long gone. And his performance versus the Buffalo Bills became the driving force behind a dismal afternoon at the office for Carolina.
Everything that could go wrong did, for Dalton. He gave up an interception and two fumbles. He was under constant duress, looking hesitant and lacking conviction as he distributed the football. There were a couple of nice back-shoulder throws, but it was largely underwhelming.
It was almost cruel for Dave Canales to keep Dalton in the game at one point; that's how much he was struggling. The Panthers are hoping to have Young back at practice this week. The sooner he returns, the better.
Winner No. 2
Rico Dowdle - Carolina Panthers RB
As previously mentioned, there were very few positives for the Panthers to take from this blowout loss. They didn't look prepared, were sluggish out of the gate, and Carolina was always playing catch-up.
Rico Dowdle once again flashed when his number was called. The red-hot running back looked aggressive and explosive in equal measure. The problem was that Carolina didn't utilize his skill set as effectively as fans would have liked.
The Panthers are moving forward with a backfield committee, but it's evident who has the hot hand right now. Dave Canales is seeing things differently, giving Hubbard most of the work whilst Doowdle stood on the sidelines for almost the entire second half.
Considering the South Carolina product averaged 6.8 yards per carry compared to Hubbard's 2.8, that is simply inexcusable. Dowdle also didn't receive one target in the passing game, which is no doubt baffling for a player in such prolific form right now.
Loser No. 5
Carolina Panthers run defense
The Panthers' run defense has quietly become a strength this season. Fans were surprised by the steep upturn in production, especially considering this unit coughed up more than 3,000 rushing yards during the previous campaign.
Week 8 put this to the test. Josh Allen is among the league's most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks. Running back James Cook III is dynamic, capable of turning the smallest seam into the most significant gain. He's a challenging proposition to stop once early momentum is generated, which is precisely what occurred at Bank of America Stadium.
Cook ran all over the Panthers. They failed to set the edge effectively, and the Georgia product took advantage at will. He broke off a 64-yard touchdown run in the first half to almost put the game out of sight. His 219 rushing yards from 19 carries could have been much worse had Buffalo not taken him out of the contest in the third quarter.
This was a step back for the Panthers' run defense after several positive steps forward. How they bounce back is crucial.