Who were the big winners and losers from the Carolina Panthers' victory against the Houston Texans in Week 8 at Bank of America Stadium?
Expectations were relatively high for the Carolina Panthers despite failing to achieve success over their opening six games. Coming off the bye will do that, but the introduction of Thomas Brown as the team's new play-caller gave the fanbase a much-needed spark amid the chaos.
It wasn't perfect, but the Panthers ground it out late to secure their first victory of the season. This came with jubilant scenes on the field and in the locker room afterward, which can hopefully be the catalyst behind better fortunes moving forward.
Getting too carried away would be foolish, but there is now hope where once there was nothing but pessimism. With some winnable games upcoming over the next fortnight, the Panthers have a shot at gaining additional momentum before the Dallas Cowboys come to town.
That's for the future. For now, here are five winners and losers from Carolina's win over the Texans in Week 8.
Winner No. 1
Donte Jackson - Carolina Panthers CB
He's come in for some severe criticism this season and might be one of those sacrificed before the trade deadline, but Donte Jackson put together his best performance of the campaign in this one. The cornerback looked a lot more assured in coverage aside from one moment where Nico Collins helped himself to a deep gain, but it was a huge step in the right direction from the former second-round selection out of LSU.
Jackson also managed to force a fumble to further enhance his influence. There was a different energy about the defense after their extended period of rest, but whether this is his final game in a Panthers uniform remains to be seen.
If Jackson ends up being moved for draft assets over the next two days, then he at least left a good impression in front of the home crowd before departing for his next challenge.
Loser No. 1
Ikem Ekwonu - Carolina Panthers OT
The Carolina Panthers have an Ikem Ekwonu problem right now. There are clear signs of regression during his sophomore campaign, which showed no signs of slowing down in Week 8 against the Houston Texans despite picking up a much-needed win.
Ekwonu struggled in pass protection and contributed significantly to Bryce Young getting sacked six times throughout the clash. The former first-round pick looks like he might be suffering some confidence issues currently, so it remains to be seen how Carolina approaches this issue to avoid any long-term damage.
There is enough talent for Ekwonu to be performing much better. The edge presence also showed enough last season to suggest there is a franchise left tackle somewhere in his locker.
Many fans are calling for the Panthers to switch Ekwonu into the guard position, which might do more harm than good to his hopes of filling the blindside effectively. It's going to take a lot for the coaching staff to make such a drastic choice and it's not like there is another decent option to put at left tackle looking upon further examination of Carolina's current options on the depth chart.
This is going to take a lot of soul-searching for Ekwonu and hard work to improve some technical aspects of his performance. The Panthers cannot afford another high-end draft pick failing to reach their long-term objectives, so handling this ongoing concern the right way is of critical importance.
Winner No. 2
Frankie Luvu - Carolina Panthers LB
It's hard to put into words how special Frankie Luvu was against the Houston Texans. The Carolina Panthers haven't had such a dominant performance from a linebacker since Luke Kuechly was flying all over the field, which lent further support to the claims he should be extended at the earliest possible opportunity.
Luvu was nothing short of sensational. He seemed to be around the football almost constantly, coming up with countless important tackles and displaying the sort of energy that's made him a fan favorite since joining the franchise in free agency from the New York Jets.
This is reflected in Luvu's statistics. The Washington State product secured 12 tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss, one pass defended, and one quarterback hit - inspirational numbers from an integral part of Carolina's defensive strategy.
Speculation about whether Luvu might be traded before the deadline was always an asinine thought, although nothing could have been ruled out if the Panthers had lost this game. This is the sort of player everyone feeds off and looking at his current trajectory, he could end up being Carolina's next great second-level presence.
That's a high bar from which to aim. But switching Luvu to the inside within Ejiro Evero's 3-4 base scheme was a masterstroke by the coaching staff and hopefully, these strong performances can continue throughout 2023 and way beyond.
Loser No. 2
Miles Sanders - Carolina Panthers RB
Miles Sanders was available for selection after getting an extended period to recover from groin and shoulder issues. Even so, the running back was seldom seen as part of offensive coordinator Thomas Brown's new play-calling strategy.
Sanders was an afterthought following an indifferent start to life with the Carolina Panthers. He was allocated just two carries in Week 8 against the Houston Texans, securing no positive yardage to continue a concerning run.
The Panthers gave Chuba Hubbard the bulk of touches, which wasn't surprising. He didn't fare much better with a 1.9 yards per carry average from 15 touches, which made Sanders' lack of involvement all the more glaring.
Where the Panthers and Sanders go from here is anyone's guess. It's unlikely any team is going to take on his contract via trade before the deadline, so perhaps a post-June 1 cut designation next year seems like a realistic option - something that comes with a saving of $6.22 million and $1.47 million in dead money.
There is still time for Sanders to be impactful, but this clearly isn't the same guy who ran for more than 1,000 yards and reached the Pro Bowl in 2022. However, one can also pinpoint the Philadelphia Eagles offensive line being far superior to the one he's running behind in Carolina.
Winner No. 3
Bryce Young - Carolina Panthers QB
Despite Bryce Young playing down his clash against C.J. Stroud, it's clear that this game meant more to the rookie quarterback than most. He'd heard all the talk about whether the Carolina Panthers made the right choice at No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, so this was the perfect opportunity to shut some doubters up.
Mission accomplished.
This was arguably Young's best performance of his NFL career. It's been refreshing to see his impressive growth from week to week, but there was far more confidence and conviction in Week 8 than we've seen previously.
Young made some outstanding throws at all three levels of the field. He stood firm in the pocket in the face of extreme pressure and led the Panthers on a game-winning drive to clinch their long-awaited first triumph.
The poise and ability to go through his progressions quickly remain a strong point. But the concerns about Young's size and seeing the field effectively against NFL-caliber opposition have been dashed over the opening seven weeks.
Young's reaction in the locker room after the game told its own story. Everyone in the building is 100 percent behind the signal-caller and firmly believes he is the man to lead this once-proud franchise back to prosperity.
Looking at the next fortnight, Young and the Panthers have a chance to start stacking up more wins. And who knows, they might be able to salvage some semblance of respectability from the season after all.