CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young did something for the first time in his 20 NFL starts on Sunday -- a quarterback kneel in victory formation.
The Panthers beat the New Orleans Saints 23-22 for their second win of the season. It's Young's third win as a starter and his first that wasn't the result of a last-second field goal.
Young had 171 yards passing and a touchdown in the win. A touchdown drive with two minutes left in the fourth quarter proved to be a game-winning move. Chuba Hubbard scored on a 16-yard run that put the Panthers ahead 23-22.
While Young did not score the game-winning touchdown, he did what he needed to for Carolina to find the end zone.
"That's all you can ask for, a chance to take the lead," Young said after the win. "That's what we play for, that's what we work for... we all leaned on each other and played for each other... it was a great team effort."
The Panthers got the ball with seemingly one last chance late in the fourth quarter. Two incomplete passes started the drive before Young found rookie wide receiver Xavier Legette for a 26-yard completion with a dagger across the middle.
New Orleans linebacker Demario Davis was called for pass interference on the next play, giving the Panthers a free 22-yard gain.
Hubbard scored on the next play. The Saints reached their own 46-yard line on the ensuing drive but failed to move any further, securing the win for Carolina.
"I'm just so proud of the way that we finished," Canales said. "For the guys to be able to... execute the way we want them to execute and make plays when they came to them, they have to be proud of that."
Canales commended Young's performance in the win. He said Young's ability to step up in a big moment at the end of the game was crucial to Carolina's win. He did not make a decision on the starting quarterback role for next week's game.
Canales and Young were not the only Panthers players amped up after the win. Several players were excited not just to end the team's five-game losing streak, but to win their first game at home of the season.
"The crowd brought the energy," rookie tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders said. "It was a great feeling for everybody."
Sanders led the team with four receptions for a career-high 87 yards receiving. Fellow rookies Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette followed Sanders with 36 yards and 33 yards receiving, respectively. Legette caught a touchdown in the first half.
"We've been trying to win a home game since I got here... very big for the city and for the team," linebacker Jadeveon Clowney said. "It was a big win for us. We needed it."
The win moves the Panthers to third place in the NFC South. The struggling Saints fall to the bottom of the division with their seventh straight loss.
Carolina's one-point victory will no doubt be celebrated by the team but the game's lopsided statistics might make Panthers coaches want to take some extra looks in the film room.
The Saints outgained the Panthers in offensive yardage 427-246. New Orleans' 197 yards rushing were more than the Panthers' 166 yards passing. Carolina also forced no turnovers and allowed the Saints to pick up 25 first downs while gaining just 15 first downs.
The Panthers' win is the first for a team in NFL history with under 250 yards of offense and no takeaways while allowing over 400 yards, according to statistics compiled from Stathead.
New Orleans' 22 points drop the Panthers' points allowed per game average to 32.5. The 293 points allowed by the Panthers this season are tied with the sixth most by a team in modern NFL history.
Even with those statistics in mind, the Panthers will push forward and try to get their second win in a row in a Week 10 contest against the Giants in Munich, Germany.