CHARLOTTE — It’s been almost 11 months since the Carolina Panthers won a regular-season game with Bryce Young starting at quarterback, but Sunday afternoon he helped secure a victory over a division rival.
Channel 9′s DaShawn Brown was in the locker room after the victory over the New Orleans Saints as Panthers Head Coach Dave Canales said, “That was fun!”
That’s not something we’ve heard a lot lately, given the injuries and seven losses through the last eight games (one of which was a blowout against this very team in week one.)
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Young, back in the starting lineup, utilized rookie receivers Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker to work down the field and get points on the board at first, and then rookie Ja’Tavion Sanders made a stunning 46-yard play to set up the Panthers’ first lead over the Saints.
In the fourth quarter with the Panthers down by five, Young connected with Legette to move the chains, and then a handoff to Chuba Hubbard turned into a touchdown. The Panthers clawed their way back to go up by one, and the defense sealed the deal by stopping Saints QB Derek Carr on a fourth down effort.
After the game, offensive lineman Robertt Hunt gave the scoop on what went down in the huddle before the game-winning drive.
“Let’s go get it man, right now. Let’s change the culture, right here, we can start it right now -- that’s what we were saying, let’s start this thing right here, let’s not walk off the field without getting it done,” Hunt said.
Sanders reacted to his showing by saying, “I’m built for these moments.”
“The rest of the guys on the offense are as well, and I think it showed. We had the winning mentality, and then we had no doubt in our mind that we were going to go down there and score,” Sanders said.
Young also commented on his first win as a starter this year.
“Where else would you rather be. That’s all you can ask for, to have a chance to go take the lead in a drive, that’s what we play for, that’s what we work for,” Young said.
As for the quarterback situation in Carolina, Canales said Young came up big in critical moments, but he’s not ready to name next week’s starter just yet.
The Panthers now head to Munich to face the New York Giants in Germany.
(VIDEO: Panthers receiver Xavier Legette wears special cleats to honor his late mother)
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