Sunday’s match against the Buffalo Buffalos at Highmark Stadium, where the Panthers were held scoreless, was emblematic of that difficulty. Quarterback Andy Dalton couldn’t buy a touchdown during the game. He only connected on 8 of 14 pass attempts for a paltry 100 yards, resulting in an ugly passer rating of 49.7. This would have made all the difference because Dalton was sacked seven times and threw three turnovers, which were truly killer for their chances.
After the game, tempers boiled over on the field. Defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson started marching right in the direction of left tackle Dion Dawkins. The two players reportedly went back and forth, trading insults, throughout the series. In a desperate attempt to fix it all, Robinson extended an olive branch.
“I didn’t give this team a chance.” – Andy Dalton
James Cook III
made a name for himself as a star player for the University at Buffalo. He rushed for an incredible 216 yards, the most ever by a running back against the Panthers in franchise history. Just watch his long touchdown runs of 54 and 21 yards, respectively, both untouched by a defender. He flaunted his shiftiness to escape and his speed to capitalize on holes in the Carolina defense. Overall, he gained 168 rushing yards before contact.The Panthers entered the game full of hope after winning three consecutive games. This was their first time over .500 this late in the season since 2019. Their dreams were crushed. They were up against a motivated Bills team that was desperate to right the ship after dropping two straight leading into their bye week.
After the game, head coach Dave Canales was disappointed in the performance, but told NBC Sports that the real lesson was about resilience.
“My message to the group is this is one game. The explosives [big plays], how well we’ve been playing the run, that didn’t happen today.” – Dave Canales
Looking forward, the crystal ball is clouded as the Panthers again face questions ahead of their next contest against the Green Bay Packers. Rookie quarterback Bryce Young is once again a question mark. As for Metcalf, he’s playing through a high ankle sprain he initially sustained earlier this season.
As the Panthers regroup from this defeat, they will need to reassess their strategies and address their offensive inconsistencies if they hope to turn their season around against formidable opponents moving forward.
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