By Doug Haller, Joe Person and Jelani Scott
The Carolina Panthers battled to their first win since Week 10 on Sunday as they extinguished the Arizona Cardinals’ playoff hopes with a 36-30 overtime win in Charlotte.
A strong start propelled Carolina (4-11) to a 17-point lead in the first half, but that margin dwindled to three with 1:57 left in regulation. With the Los Angeles Rams’ win over the New York Jets, the Cardinals needed to win to keep their postseason hopes alive, and Arizona forced overtime as time expired behind a 58-yard field goal from kicker Chad Ryland to extend the game.
But after the Panthers stalled to start OT and open the door for quarterback Kyler Murray to save the day, the ensuing series ended with a Murray sack on third-and-10. Three plays later, Chuba Hubbard capped his big day with a 21-yard rushing touchdown to lift the Panthers to victory.
Hubbard, who had a costly Week 13 fumble, finished with 25 carries for 152 yards and two scores while QB Bryce Young again showed improvement with 158 passing yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers, while adding 68 rushing yards and another score on the ground. Carolina opened with touchdowns on its first three drives for the first time since Week 17 in 2018.
Chuba called game
📺: Fox@Hubbard_RMN | #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/W4EOGtZDF2
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) December 22, 2024
Hubbard’s monstrous game keyed upset
When in doubt, the Panthers just chose to hand the ball to Hubbard.
After the Panthers and Cardinals exchanged punts to begin overtime, Panthers coach Dave Canales kept things simple on Carolina’s second OT possession. With Carolina taking over in a favorable spot, Hubbard broke off two big runs, the second of which was the game-winner in the Panthers’ final home contest of the season. Hubbard finished one yard short of his career high against the New York Giants in Munich — which was the Panthers’ last win before Sunday. — Joe Person, Panthers beat writer
Arizona squandered prime opportunity after slow start
The Cardinals knew what was at stake, yet they started sluggishly.
Murray and Marvin Harrison, Jr. miscommunicated on a pass play, an issue all season. Running back Michael Carter fumbled. Center Hjalte Froholdt was called for holding on a fourth-and-1 James Conner run that would’ve given the Cardinals a first down in the red zone to start the second quarter. They committed eight penalties in the first half alone.
Arizona was beat up, missing left tackle Paris Johnson and losing Conner (117 rushing yards) and right tackle Jonah Williams on back-to-back plays in the second half. But that’s no excuse.
Credit the Cardinals for rallying. Murray scored on a 20-yard run to keep it close, while Ryland’s 58-yarder forced overtime. But the Cardinals did nothing from there. Murray had little time to throw and without Conner, they had few options.
Two games remain. No playoffs, but Arizona can still finish with a winning record, which is the next best thing. — Doug Haller, Arizona senior writer
Chad Ryland sends the game to OT!
📺: #AZvsCAR on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/eeIzBFQ7tg— NFL (@NFL) December 22, 2024
Cardinals, Gannon left to mull Year 2 disappointment
The Cardinals positioned themselves to play meaningful games in November and December. The problem: They haven’t won enough of them.
On Nov. 10, Arizona had won four in a row and sat atop the NFC West at 6-4. Since then, the Cardinals have gone 1-4, the lone win over the struggling New England Patriots. Sunday’s loss at Carolina, coupled with the Rams’ win over the New York Jets, eliminated the Cardinals from the playoffs.
Had someone told fans in August that Arizona in Year 2 under head coach Jonathan Gannon would’ve stayed in the postseason hunt until Christmas, they would’ve been thrilled. But the Cardinals changed the timeline with their midseason surge. To fizzle in such a manner is a disappointment. Losing at Carolina, among the league’s worst teams, was the topper. — Haller
Young continues to flash potential
Young didn’t need a big game to secure his place in the starting lineup. Canales said Friday that Young would be the starter for the final three games. But Young delivered an all-around performance to bounce back from his career-worst four-turnover game last week against Dallas to help the Panthers break a four-game losing streak.
Young missed a third-down throw that would have sealed things near the end of regulation. But Young had a couple of big scrambles — one for 34 yards and another for a 24-yard touchdown — and also threw a pair of touchdown passes to help erase last week’s dud against the Cowboys. — Person
Required reading
(Photo: Bob Donnan / Imagn Images)
