Securing a decisive victory against the Houston Texans on Thursday night, the Carolina Panthers emerged victorious with a final score of 24-9. This win places them as the frontrunners in the NFC South with three wins and zero losses, placing them ahead of Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers by one game.
The opening touchdown of the match was claimed by the Panthers, as Sam Darnold swiftly made his way into the Houston end zone for a five-yard rush. In the second quarter, despite the setback of losing running back Christian McCaffrey to a hamstring injury, the Texans made a comeback. Davis Mills executed a short pass towards the Carolina end zone, which was caught by Anthony Miller. Racing for the final yard, Miller secured a touchdown, earning six crucial points with less than 30 seconds remaining in the quarter.
Reflecting on the game, Darnold commented, “The absence of Christian is challenging, but I believe we demonstrated resilience by regrouping effectively. We managed to put the struggles of the first half behind us and delivered a strong performance in the latter part of the game.”
The third quarter saw Tommy Tremble making a quick dash to the left, covering seven yards for another touchdown, further extending the Panthers’ lead. The intensity heightened in the fourth quarter, with both teams scoring field goals before Darnold sealed the victory with a final touchdown.
