Carolina Panthers top Dallas Cowboys, 16-8
The Carolina Panthers pick up their first win of the season.
It was not pretty in many aspects, but a win is a win. The Carolina Panthers took the season (and home) opener from the Dallas Cowboys by a score of 16-8 in a game that suffered through many offensive lulls.
In the first quarter, there was no offensive to be had, as both teams tried to figure each other out. Although the beginning frame was nothing to write home about, the second quarter was all Panthers. First, Cam Newton capped off a seven-play 35-yard drive with a four- yard touchdown run to make it a 7-0 game. Following several key stops by the defense, the Panthers were able to score again when Graham Gano booted a 37-yard field goal with three seconds left in the frame to make it an even 10-0 ballgame.
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The teams entered halftime with the Panthers leading 10-0 and while Carolina was in the lead, it did not feel like a comfortable one.
In the third frame, it was again a defensive battle. Neither team wanted to give the other an edge and it was evident by the way they played. Although there were big plays on offense throughout the course of the quarter, no points were scored. Alex Armah took the ball a yard out for a touchdown to make it 16-0 for the first scoring play of the fourth quarter. The Carolina Panthers defense held firm for the majority of the quarter, stopping both the Cowboys and Ezekiel Elliott, He would finish the game with 15 carries for 69 yards and a score, which would be the Cowboys’ only points of the game. A two-point conversion attempt would be successful, but it would not be enough for the ‘Boys to overtake the Panthers. Safe to say, it was a successful home opener as the final score was 16-8 in favor of the good guys.
Cam Newton did not have his best game. He went 17-of-26 on the day throwing for 161 yards. He was also the leading rusher on the afternoon, carrying the ball 13 times for 58 yards. Christian McCaffrey was the leading receiver in this game, catching the ball six times for 45 yards. The defense had a field day against the Dallas offensive line, recording six sacks. Luke Kuechly was the star defensive player for the Panthers. He notched 13 tackles in a game that truly proved he was a machine.
The Panthers will go on the road to face the Atlanta Falcons in their next game on the road at 1:00 PM.