Panthers pounce on Ravens 36-21 in statement revenge win

The Panthers got the job done on Sunday.

The Carolina Panthers won Sunday’s game resoundingly. Not only did they win it resoundingly, they won it against the best defense in the National Football League. They scored early, they scored often, and they kept the Baltimore Ravens on their toes. In doing so, the good guys won by a 36-21 margin.

However, the Ravens would strike first. In the first quarter, Alex Collins took the ball from 14 yards out to the pylon giving his team a 7-0 advantage. That capped off an 11-play, 75-yard drive that took seven minutes and 10 seconds. The Panthers would strike next however as they completed a much more succinct drive. Christian McCaffrey ran for a touchdown of his own, scoring an 11-yarder to tie the game (following a Graham Gano kick) and complete a four-play, 54-yard drive. The rest of the quarter remained a defensive stalemate and that would be all the scoring in the first frame.

The second quarter is when the Panthers began to pull away. Greg Olsen would do the honors to start off the scoring party. Catching an 11-yard pass, he would score his second touchdown in as many games. McCaffrey would score the next touchdown, this time on a six-yard pass from the arm of Cam Newton. With the pass ending a 10-play, 99-yard drive, that gave Carolina a two- touchdown lead to make it a 21-7 game. Before the teams would head into the locker room for halftime, Graham Gano would kick a 54-yard field goal to stretch the Panthers lead to 24-7. As the two teams would head into the locker rooms, one of them would never look back and take full control of the game.

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With that the Panthers receiving the ball to start the second half, they were able to set the tone for the rest of the game. They started off with a five-play, 23-yard drive that took two minutes and 33 seconds off the clock. It was close enough for Graham Gano to kick a 44-yard field goal and further extend the Panthers lead to 24 -7. After a rough game last week, it was nice to see Gano performing like his usual self. For the majority of the quarter, it remained a defensive battle. However, with 10 seconds left in the third frame, the Ravens would strike. Javorius Allen was the recipient of a nine-yard pass from Joe Flacco to make it a 27-14 game in favor of the Panthers. That would be all the scoring as the final quarter was set to get underway.

The Panthers would strike back in the fourth frame. First, it was Cam Newton using his legs to get into the end zone as he rushed the ball from 12 yards out to the pylon. That made it a 33-14 game, and ended a drive that took nine plays and 85 yards. In addition, it took five minutes and 10 seconds off the clock. Gano would put the final touches on the scoring for the Panthers. Nailing a 30-yard field goal, that capped off another long drive, one that took five minutes and 41 seconds. That made it a 36-14 game and officially put the nail in the coffin. Baltimore would respond one more time, showing that they were not going to go down without a fight. Hayden Hurst caught a 26-yard pass from the arm of Lamar Jackson to make the score a bit more respectable at 36-21, but it would not be enough.

The Carolina Panthers defeated the number one defense in the National Football League. In turn, they kept pace with the rest of the NFC South. Newton had a great day, going 21-of-29 and throwing for 219 yards and two touchdown passes. Averaging 7.9 yards per pass, he truly was a playmaker. He also led the team in rushing, carrying the ball 10 times for 52 yards and a touchdown. D. J. Moore was the leading receiver for Carolina in this one, catching five passes for 90 yards and averaging 18 yards per catch. A 33-yard reception was his longest of the afternoon.

Defensively, Shaq Thompson led the day. Recording 13 tackles, he had a nose for the football in this one. Mike Adams and Captain Munnerlyn each recorded an interception, and their contributions should not be forgotten. Gano was perfect on the day, going 3-3 on field goals as well as extra points.

The Carolina Panthers will play their next game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That will take place next Sunday, November 5 at 1:00 PM. In what was a huge win for the team today, they look to continue their winning ways against a team in Tampa Bay that is struggling.

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