With Chuba Hubbard and improving D, Panthers still not a good team, but they're taking steps

MUNICH — In the official stats, the Carolina Panthers’ come-from-ahead, 20-17 overtime win Sunday will go down as the fourth of Bryce Young’s career — all of which came via a game-winning drive, with Sunday’s and two other delivered via the right foot of Eddy Pineiro as time expired.

But even Young wasn’t buying the game-winning talk.

“Does that count? I don’t think that one counts,” Young said. “(I’ll) take it. A win’s a win. But the credit goes to the defense on that last drive, for sure. For sure.”

No one who watched the Panthers and New York Giants play on a slick field in a soccer stadium will confuse them for good teams — even the Germans still learning the nuances of American football. But the two NFC teams staged an entertaining game, and there were signs of progress from a Panthers’ defense that heretofore seemed to be headed toward a dubious place in NFL history.

GO DEEPER

Panthers stave off Giants with 20-17 OT victory in Germany: Takeaways

D.J. Wonnum’s long-awaited debut was a pass-rushing success and linebacker Josey Jewell came up with a pair of late takeaways to first bail out the offense, then set things up for Pineiro. It was appropriate a former soccer player ended things with a 36-yard field goal at Allianz Arena, home of FC Bayern Munich.

“Since I was a little kid I always wanted to be a professional soccer player. But it’s mostly for my dad,” Pineiro said. “My dad had a tryout to come to Germany and he didn’t take it because he had me and my sister (to help raise). So it was a dream for him, and now it’s dedicated for him.”

The Panthers improved to 3-7, surpassing their win total from 2023. They won consecutive games in back-to-back weeks for the first time since Weeks 2 and 3 in 2021. (The Panthers won two games in a row under interim coach Steve Wilks in 2022, but had a bye separating them).

Panthers kicker Eddy Pineiro (4) celebrates his game-winning kick with holder Johnny Hekker. (Kirby Lee / Imagn Images)

“That’s a long time ago. That was my second year in the league,” said right guard Robert Hunt, who signed a big free-agent contract in Carolina. “So this feels good for us. It feels good for a lot of the fans and I’m just really proud of the team. And I’m sure a lot of people can see guys are starting to believe.

“That’s what we need. Guys believing, flying around, playing hard. That defense was on fire today. They were playing. Wonnum came in and gave us a boost. We all saw that. He was rushing the passer.”

Wonnum has been through hell since coming to Charlotte as a free agent. Complications from quad surgery led to additional procedures as he dealt with MRSA and then blood clots. But as he recovered, coaches marveled at how he stayed engaged in meetings and with the defensive scheme.

Still, the Panthers needed him on the field as a complement to edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney. And Wonnum came through Sunday, taking down Daniel Jones for his first sack as a Panther on a Giants’ flea-flicker. Good thing, too: Jaycee Horn, figuring the receivers were all going deep like most flea-flickers, said Malik Nabers was open on a 12-yard dig.

“I’m thinking it’s about to be a catch. Then I see Daniel on his back. So I’m like, somebody got there,” Horn said. “Then on the sideline they was telling me D.J. got there. So I was extremely happy for him.”

Wonnum had help. Jewell, another free-agent acquisition who’d played for Ejiro Evero in Denver, thwarted a Giants’ scoring threat by taking the ball away from Tyrone Tracy for an interception after Chuba Hubbard fumbled deep in Panthers’ territory.

Then Jewell and defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson combined on the biggest play of the game. Robinson, another newcomer, stripped Tracy on the Giants’ first offensive snap in overtime, and Jewell recovered on the New York 23.

Robinson, who played with the Giants last season, called his shot on the sideline before overtime.

“Coming from that team from last year, I had a little extra fire, and nothing would be better to end the game,” he said. “So, I was telling them that I would want to end the game if I get the chance if I go back out there.”

Three short Hubbard runs followed Tracy’s fumble. That brought on Pineiro, who drilled the kick and ran to the other end of the field to salute his mom, who made the trip from the U.S.

Hubbard’s fumble was the only hiccup in a career day during a life-changing week. Three days after signing a four-year, $33.2 million contract extension, Hubbard celebrated with 28 carries and 153 yards — both career highs — and a touchdown.

“He’s a bad man, a bad dude. I’m just happy for him,” Hunt said. “The dude works really, really hard. He puts the effort in, he puts the time in. You grow up, that’s what you’re taught: Work hard, do the right thing and it pays off. And for him, it actually has paid off.”

The Panthers have hurt their chances for the No. 1 pick by beating a pair of two-win teams in New Orleans and New York, which fell to 2-8. The Saints reacted to their loss to Carolina by firing head coach Dennis Allen. Brian Daboll’s job is thought to be safe.

Meanwhile in Carolina, Dave Canales is starting to see things come together after a five-game losing streak. The defense is finally getting healthy and has enough pass rushers that Charles Harris, their sacks leader, didn’t get a jersey Sunday.

Welcome back Wonnum
📺: NFL Network pic.twitter.com/tXjvI04jwe

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 10, 2024

The offense boasts a strong running game powered by Hubbard, with Jonathon Brooks expected to join him as a change-of-pace complement. Canales held Brooks out another week as a precaution on the slick grass surface, according to a league source with knowledge of the situation. But with Miles Sanders carted off Sunday with what appeared to be a serious foot/ankle injury, Canales almost certainly will take the bubble-wrap off Brooks for the Nov. 24 home game against Kansas City.

Canales is still trying to figure out the quarterback riddle. When Andy Dalton was the starter before his car accident, Canales continually said the veteran gave the Panthers their best chance to win. He has yet to say the same of Young.

Young missed a couple of late throws that might have put the game away. But last year’s No. 1 pick appears to be growing on Canales.

“I’m so proud of Bryce. I’m so proud of him taking the next step again,” he said. “I thought he had a great day. I thought it could have been a fantastic day. I thought a few balls got away from us a couple of times and that could have turned it into really an exceptional day.”

Facing a Giants’ defense that leads the league in sacks, Young handled the pass rush well. New York’s only sack came on the first series when Young slipped before old friend Brian Burns got to him.

Canales still wasn’t ready to call Young the starter after his 15-for-25 passing day. But Canales isn’t fooling anyone by withholding the announcement, as he did last week as well.

“Again, we’ll take all the information,” he said. “But Bryce is certainly making a statement to all of us.”

It’s hard to call Sunday’s win a statement game. Much tougher tests and better quarterbacks lie ahead, beginning with Patrick Mahomes. But as Young said, the Panthers will take it, coming as it did before an eight-hour flight and the ensuing bye week.

“Talking to X (Xavier Legette) after the game, I’m like, ‘Bro, I don’t think we’ve had back-to-back wins in two years. When Wilks was here was the last time we had back-to-back wins,’” Horn said. “So it’s good to get that feeling back. We’re gonna celebrate tonight. We’re really gonna celebrate this week since it’s a bye week. We ain’t gotta follow the 24-hour rule.”

A minute or two later in the offense’s locker room, Young was telling reporters the Panthers would enjoy the win for 24 hours when a reporter advised him of Horn’s bye-week caveat.

“Well, uhh, I respect Jaycee’s point of view. That’s my dog. So whatever he says, goes,” Young said with a laugh. “But whenever that time is — however long the hour is – we’ll think about that then.”