By Rockin’ Reese
Panthers vs Cowboys Week 11 Recap
While the Carolina Panthers seem destined for the #1 in the 2024 NFL Draft, they wanted to give their fans something to be thankful for before Thanksgiving. Specifically, a victory at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina against the Dallas Cowboys. However, the Cowboys weren’t in the mood for it.
On the opening possession, (Cowboys quarterback) Dak Prescott completed a 7-yard pass to (wide receiver) Michael Gallup. After throwing an incomplete pass, Prescott completed a pass to (wide receiver) Kavontae Turpin, but it was for no gain. The Cowboys went 3 and out & punted. The Panthers started their opening possession with (quarterback) Bryce Young having a 4-yard run. After a 3-yard run from (running back) Chuba Hubbard, Young complwted a 5-yard pass to (wide receiver) Adam Thielen for a 1st down.
Hubbard had consecutive runs of 13 & 7 yards. After throwing an incomplete pass, Young completed a 14-yard pass to Thielen for another 1st down and more importantly, to enter Cowboys territory. After an incomplete pass, Young completed a pass to (wide receiver) Laviska Shenault Jr. for 4 yards. On 3rd down, Young was sacked by (Cowboys linebacker) Micah Parsons for a 9-yard loss, forcing the Panthers to punt. The Cowboys started their next drive with consecutive plays resulting in a 1st down. First, Prescott completed a 12-yard pass to (running back) Tony Pollard. Then, Turpin had a 13-yard run.
After Prescott threw an incomplete pass, Pollard ran for 9 yards to enter Panthers territory. Pollard would run for 3 more yard to get another 1st down. Prescott completed a pass to (running back) Rico Dowdle, but it lost a yard. Prescott completed a 7-yard pass to (wide receiver) Jalen Tolbert. Pollard ran for 22 yards to earn the fourth Cowboys 1st down of the possession and to enter Carolina’s red zone. Dowdle ran for no gain, but Prescott completed an 18-yard touchdown pass to (tight end) Luke Schoonmaker, then (kicker) Brandon Aubrey made the extra point.
On the next first quarter possession for the Panthers, (running back) Miles Sanders had 3 consecutive runs. The first run was for 5 yards. The next one was 15 yards. The final one was 3 yards. After an incomplete pass, Young was sacked by Parsons for a 9-yard loss, again. The Panthers punted for the 2nd drive in a row. Prescott completed a 5-yard pass to (wide receiver) CeeDee Lamb. After an incomplete pass, Prescott completed a 5-yard to Gallup for a 1st down, as the quarter ended.
The second quarter began with Prescott completing a 22-yard pass to (wide receiver) Brandin Cooks to enter Panthers territory for the 2nd time in the first half. Pollard ran for 7 yards. A 4-yard run from Prescott for a 1st down was negated, because (offensive lineman) Tyler Smith was called for holding. While Prescott threw an incomplete pass, (Panthers cornerback) Donte Jackson was called for pass interference. Pollard ran for a play that lost 10 yards. Prescott completed pass of 1 yard to Pollard, then a pass of 8 yards to Cooks. On the pass to Cooks, (Panthers safety) Xavier Woods committed 2 penalties…face mask (which was declined) & horse collar tackle. The Cowboys were in the red zone, again.
Pollard ran for a yard, but Prescott threw 2 incomplete passes, forcing the Cowboys to settle for a 30-yard field goal from Aubrey. The Panthers started their next drive with Hubbard losing 2 yards on a run. After Young threw an incomplete pass, a false start was called to turn their 3rd & 12 into 3rd & 17. Young completed a 5-yard pass to Shenault Jr., but the Panthers went 3 and out & punted. During the punt, (Cowboys safety) Juanyeh Thomas was called for holding.
Pollard ran for 5 yards, then Prescott completed an 8-yard pass to (tight end) Jake Ferguson for a 1st down. Prescott completed a pass to Pollard for no gain, then Dowdle ran for no gain. After Prescott threw an incomplete pass, the Cowboys punted, which (Panthers wide receiver) Ihmir Smith-Marsette returned 14 yards. Hubbard ran 3 consecutive times. The first time for 9 yards.
The second time for 14 yards & a 1st down. The last time for 5 yards. After Sanders lost a yard on a run, Young completed a 20-yard pass to (tight end) Stephen Sullivan for another 1st down to bring them into Cowboys territory. Sanders ran for 14 yards to bring the Panthers into the red zone of Dallas for the first time, but he would lose 4 yards on his next run. After Young threw an incomplete pass, he was sacked by (Cowboys defensive lineman) DeMarcus Lawrence for a 7-yard loss. Just after the 2-minute warning, (kicker) Eddy Piñeiro made a 42-yard field goal. However, Piñeiro wouldn’t be so fortunate on the kickoff.
The ball went out of bounds, meaning the Cowboys would start at their 40-yard line. Prescott threw an incomplete pass, then completed a 19-yard pass to Gallup to enter Panthers territory. After throwing 2 incomplete passes, Prescott ran for 3 yards, but (Panthers linebacker) Amaré Barno committed unnecessary roughness to give the Cowboys a 1st down via penalty. Pollard lost 6 yards on a run, then Prescott threw an incomplete pass.
Prescott completed a 10-yard pass to Lamb, but (Panthers defensive lineman) DeShawn Williams committed unnecessary roughness. For the 2nd time this possession, the Panthers gave the Cowboys a 1st down via penalty. It was 1st & goal at Carolina’s 9-yard line. Pollard ran for 4 yards, then Prescott threw an incomplete pass. With less than 30 seconds remaining in the quarter, Prescott completed a 5-yard touchdown pass to Lamb, then Aubrey made his 2nd extra point of the game. Young just knelt out the clock. The Cowboys led 17-3 at halftime.
The third quarter began with the Panthers having the opening possession of the second half. Hubbard having a 7-yard run negated, because Thielen was called for holding. Young completed a 6-yard pass to (wide receiver) Jonathan Mingo, then threw an incomplete pass. Young completed a 6-yard pass to Hubbard, but the Panthers went 3 and out, forcing a punt. Pollard ran for 3 yards, then Prescott completed a 12-yard pass to Cooks for a 1st down.
Prescott completed a pass to Ferguson for no gain & a 2-yard pass to Lamb, then threw an incomplete pass. As the Cowboys punted, (cornerback) Nahshon Wright was called for holding, which meant the Panthers would start at their 30-yard line. Sanders ran for 3 yards, then earned a 1st down with an 8-yard run. After Young threw an incomplete pass, he completed an 8-yard pass to Thielen, who fumbled the ball. Fortunately, the ball went out of bounds.
After a false start, Young threw an incomplete pass. On a 4th & 7, Young completed a 16-yard pass to Thielen to get into Cowboys territory. Hubbard ran for 3 yards, then for 4 yards. After Young threw an incomplete pass, the Panthers had to convert another 4th down play. Young completed a 3-yard pass to Thielen for another 1st down. Sanders ran for no gain, then Young threw an incomplete pass. Young completed a 9-yard pass to Thielen to get into the red zone of the Cowboys. Sanders ran for 3 yards to get Carolina’s third 4th down conversion of this drive.
Young completed completed a 5-yard pass to Thielen. Sanders ran for 4 yards. Young completed a 4-yard touchdown pass to (tight end) Tommy Tremble, then Piñeiro made the extra point. As the Cowboys started their next drive, Pollard ran for 2 yards, then Prescott completed an 8-yard pass to Lamb for a 1st down. After throwing an incomplete pass, Prescott completed a 5-yard pass to Tolbert, then a 24-yard pass to Ferguson for a 1st down & to end the quarter in Panthers territory.
The fourth quarter began with Prescott completing an 8-yard pass to Lamb. Showing that he could run, Lamb ran for yard to get another 1st down for the Cowboys. Pollard finished off the drive with a 21-yard touchdown run. Aubrey made his 3rd extra point of the game. When the Panthers regained control of the ball, Young threw an interception to (Cowboys cornerback) DaRon Bland, who returned it 30 yards for a touchdown.
Bland became the 4th defensive player in NFL history to have 4 interceptions returned for touchdowns in a season. In a rare miscue for the Cowboys, Aubrey missed the extra point. When the Panthers regained the ball, Young completed a 2-yard pass to Sanders. After throwing an incomplete pass, Young completed a 14-yard pass to Thielen for a 1st down. The next 2 plays saw Young get sacked. The first sack had Parsons & (Cowboys safety) Jayron Kearse team up for an 8-yard loss. The second sack had (Cowboys defensive linemen) Dorance Armstrong & Chauncey Golston team up for a 6-yard loss.
On the 3rd down play, Young was trying to evade the Cowboys defense, but in doing that, he fumbled the ball at the line of scrimmage & it was recovered by (Cowboys safety) Donovan Wilson. Dowdle ran for 8 yards to enter Carolina’s red zone, then he ran for 1 more yard. Prescott ran for 3 yards to get a 1st down. Prescott completed a pass to Dowdle, but it lost 2 yards. Dowdle ran for 2 yards, then Prescott completed a 6-yard pass to Pollard. To give him some confidence back, Aubrey made a 27-yard field goal. On the kickoff, (Panthers running back) Raheem Blackshear returned it to the 28-yard line.
Young completed a 2-yard pass to Hubbard, then was sacked for a 7-yard loss by (Cowboys defensive lineman) Sam Williams. After Young threw an incomplete pass, the Panthers punted & pretty much conceded the game. The Cowboys made a quarterback change, as Cooper Rush took over for Prescott. Dowdle ran for 11 yards for a 1st down. He had a 4-yard run negated, because (tight end) Sean McKeon was called for holding.
Rush completed a 5-yard pass to Schoonmaker, then Dowdle had a run for no gain. Rush threw an incomplete pass on 3rd down, but Jackson was called for holding which gave the Cowboys another 1st down via penalty. Dowdle ran for 1 yard, then Rush threw an incomplete pass. Rush completed a 10-yard pass to Turpin, which led to the 2-minute warning. Rush knelt down to give the Cowboys a 33-10 victory.
For the Panthers, Young completed 16 out of 29 passes for 123 yards, 1 touchdown, & 1 interception. Hubbard ran 10 times for 57 yards. Thielen had 8 catches for 74 yards. Next up, they visit Music City to play the Tennessee Titans (who lost 34-14 to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday). The only people are thankful for in the Carolinas, during this Thanksgiving, is that they only have 7 more weeks of Panthers football.
