It's been impressive to see the encouraging progress being made by the Carolina Panthers over their last five games. That came to an abrupt halt in Week 15 against the Dallas Cowboys at Bank of America Stadium.
The Panthers were favored for the first time in two years. They unfortunately reverted to type, displaying the same frailties that became prevalent earlier in the campaign. This was immensely disappointing when one considers the raised expectations attached to head coach Dave Canales' squad.
Carolina was never in the game. They couldn't generate any consistent rhythm on offense. They were soft on defense, making veteran quarterback Cooper Rush look like a Pro Bowl-caliber performer. The supreme execution displayed in encouraging losses deserted them.
This brought fans back down to earth. The Panthers are a long way from being considered among the postseason candidates. Their latest reverse makes this abundantly clear for general manager Dan Morgan heading into a pivotal 2025 offseason.
That's for the future. For now, here are four losers and one winner from Carolina's beatdown versus the Cowboys in Week 15.
Winners and losers from Carolina Panthers' beatdown vs. Cowboys
Loser No. 1
Carolina Panthers OL
The Carolina Panthers offensive line is one of the genuine bright spots from another underwhelming campaign. This was not their finest afternoon at the office.
Dallas' imposing defensive front led by All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons seized the initiative almost immediately. They overwhelmed the protection and put quarterback Bryce Young under constant duress. They also nullified Carolina's rushing attack to place even more pressure on the signal-caller.
Left tackle Ikem Ekwonu had a rough day. The same goes for center Cade Mays and left guard Damien Lewis. Even the ultra-dependable right-hand tandem of Taylor Moton and Robert Hunt struggled on occasions.
Hopefully, this will be a small bump in the road rather than anything too concerning. There is enough high-quality production from this unit to give them a pass for one lackluster showing.