Week 16 concluded with a total of 14 NFL games played on Sunday. One of the early Sunday games featured our Team of the Week, the Carolina Panthers.
This choice is surprising, especially if you watched them in Week 1, but there’s no doubt the Panthers have come a long way this year. This is the first time they have appeared on our Team of the Week series this season.
Panthers Defense Shut Down Cardinals’ Passing Game
The Panthers’ defensive unit, led by coordinator Ejiro Evero, effectively shut down the Cardinals’ passing game. Many NFL analysts believed the Cardinals had a chance to contend for the NFC West title and secure a playoff spot. Arizona’s leading receiver was running back James Connor, who recorded four receptions for 49 yards before suffering a knee injury that sidelined him for a significant portion of the second half.
First-round wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. had one of the quieter performances of his rookie season with four catches for 39 yards. No Arizona receiver managed to exceed 50 receiving yards in this game.
Additionally, the Carolina defense recorded three sacks against the Cardinals’ offensive line, courtesy of linebackers Jacoby Windmon (an undrafted free agent) and D.J. Wonnum, as well as defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson.
Unexpected Bryce Resurgence
Bryce Young’s career renaissance has been a remarkable thing to witness. Since his return against the Denver Broncos back on Oct. 27, he has thrown a touchdown in every game. This past Sunday, Young completed 17 of 26 passes for 158 yards, along with two touchdown passes — one to Adam Thielen and the other to David Moore.
For much of the game, Young also led the team in rushing. However, by the end of the contest, he finished second on the team to running back Chuba Hubbard. The former No. 1 running back registered five carries for 68 yards and one rushing touchdown.
Bryce Young deserves a ton of credit.
He was benched, ridiculed, laughed at, and promptly labelled a bust by many. Despite the situation around him, he’s kept his head down.
He continues to make throws like this weekly…
— SCOUTD (@scoutdnfl) December 23, 2024
DMC
With Young’s resurgence, immense praise should be directed toward first-year head coach Dave Canales, who is affectionately known as the “quarterback whisperer,” and general manager Dan Morgan. In his first season leading a franchise, Canales has truly lived up to this nickname. The decision to bench Bryce Young after a poor start to the season was arguably one of the best moves for both the organization and Young’s professional football career. Last year, Young’s development was hindered by a poor coaching staff led by Frank Reich and a historically weak offensive line.
Last offseason, Morgan and the front office tackled the offensive line issue by signing Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis. These acquisitions have had an immediate positive impact on the offense, allowing Young more time to make his throws. With an improved passing game, Young’s skills as a dual-threat quarterback have been on display. Now, opposing defenses must prepare for both the run and the pass games, making their strategies less predictable. Morgan’s drafting and scouting abilities have proven to be exceptional; he can find diamonds in the rough, such as undrafted receiver Jalen Coker and safety Demani Richardson, who recorded the only interception this past Sunday, giving the Panthers a crucial momentum shift.
Carolina Reaper Strikes Again
Young has earned the nickname “The Carolina Reaper” this season. In Week 16, the Carolina Reaper struck again, eliminating the Arizona Cardinals from playoff contention. Arizona was favored by five and a half points on the road.
The Panthers have repeatedly gone toe-to-toe with playoff-contending teams, like the Cardinals. They even took the best team in the league, the Kansas City Chiefs, to the final whistle, nearly winning that game.
Nearly losing to the Panthers seems to make teams question themselves. Following the Panthers’ game against the Philadelphia Eagles, news about quarterback Jalen Hurts and wide receiver A.J. Brown‘s relationship came to light. This success shows that the offensive scheme developed by Canales and offensive coordinator Brad Idzik is effective.
Following Sunday’s game, Arizona tight end Trey McBride expressed his frustration over the loss and the fact that the Arizona Cardinals are now out of playoff contention for the 2024 NFL season.
Cardinals TE Trey McBride had some brutally honest things to say after losing 36-30 in OT to the Carolina Panthers & being eliminated from playoff contention
“Man those guys are so f*cking bad. We’re sorry af” pic.twitter.com/W9BOVDt2Yb— Lee Harvey (@MusikFan4Life) December 23, 2024
Chuba Hubbard Redemption Arc
When the Panthers faced their NFC South rival, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, back in Week 13, Carolina lost in overtime due to a fumble by Hubbard. This was devastating for everyone, especially since Hubbard is having a career year, marking his first season with over 1,000 rushing yards.
Fast forward to Week 16 against the Cardinals, and guess who scored the game-winning touchdown to win in overtime? The “Chuba Missile Crisis,” as dubbed by the legendary Chris Berman. Versus a very good Cardinals run defense, Hubbard had an impressive performance with 25 carries for 152 yards and two touchdowns. He has been a key player for the Panthers’ offense throughout the year, and despite the uncertainty at quarterback, he has managed to accumulate 1,195 rushing yards, ranking fifth in the NFL.
Look at that hole for Hubbard. Huge run and he didn’t fumble this time. pic.twitter.com/xH5Ewviotr
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) December 22, 2024
Hubbard has truly performed like a top-five running back this season, and his mid-season four-year, $33.2 million dollar extension seems to be paying off already.
The Panthers’ performance during the back half of the season is better than their 4-11 record suggests. If you’re a Carolina Panthers fan, there’s reason to be optimistic about the future of the organization. With two games left in the season, they have the opportunity to shake things up in the NFC South with games against the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
