4 important takeaways as Carolina Panthers turn the page on Week 8 triumph
By Luke Gray
What important takeaways must not be overlooked as the Carolina Panthers officially turn the page on their Week 8 win?
For the first time since Week 18 of the 2022 season, the Carolina Panthers have a victory to celebrate. As in New Orleans, it was the boot of kicker Eddy Piniero that secured the triumph after a walk-off field goal gave them a much-needed victory over the Houston Texans.
On a day that honored Julius Peppers and Musin Muhammed, this was not a game for the Panthers to limply fall to 0-7. What we saw from Frank Reich's men was a gritty performance and the first win hopefully of many for rookie quarterback Bryce Young.
This was billed as a battle between the first two picks of the draft and two great friends whose relationship goes back to the eighth grade. The urgency only increased as a result, with Young securing bragging rights thanks to arguably the most impressive performance of his professional career.
But for the first time this season, let’s break down four takeaways from a Panthers win!.
Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young answered his critics
This was the Bryce Young fans thought they were getting when the Carolina Panthers picked him No. 1 overall, attaining 235 passing yards, one touchdown, and a passer rating of 103.6. Perhaps most impressive was his final drive with the game on the line - a 15-play 86-yard masterpiece to set up an Eddy Piniero chip shot with time expiring.
This was a vital victory for Young and the Panthers. Carolina entered a stretch of winnable games with both the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears also to come over the next two weeks, giving the Panthers a real opportunity to be 3-6 heading into the matchup with the Dallas Cowboys.
Young displayed to the wider NFL world why he was the No. 1 overall pick, winning the game despite taking six sacks, having no running game to lean on, and dealing with multiple drops.