North Charlotte Today

The Carolina Panthers faced a challenging game against the Dallas Cowboys, resulting in a 30-14 loss. The game highlighted significant issues with the Panthers' offensive line, which struggled to protect quarterback Bryce Young effectively.

Panthers right guard Robert Hunt acknowledged the team's shortcomings, stating, "Yeah, it wasn't a great day for us. This is the NFL, man. You've got to come ready to play. If not, you get embarrassed." He added that the Cowboys "got the best of us."

The Panthers had invested heavily in their offensive line during the offseason but allowed six sacks in this game alone—all occurring in the second half. Micah Parsons of the Cowboys contributed two of those sacks. Panthers head coach Dave Canales recognized Parsons' impact: "Well, I think Michael Parsons is a special player," he said.

Canales explained that playing from behind forced them into a style of play they wanted to avoid: "It allows (defensive coordinator Mike) Zimmer, with a really good pressure package... But certainly put us in a brand of football that we don't really want to play."

The game began promisingly for the Panthers with an extended drive that ended without points due to Young's fumble on their 13th play. This misstep set an unfavorable tone for the rest of their performance.

Left tackle Ikem Ekwonu reflected on their struggles when forced into passing situations: "At the end of the day, guys can come in here and say we're passing the ball 50 times. My job is to protect the quarterback."

Hunt also mentioned "really sloppy" play throughout and emphasized areas needing improvement: "I think that we can do a better job of communicating... I own mine, didn't do a good job of honing in on those today."

Despite these challenges, Hunt remained confident about what they could achieve based on their initial drive: "That first drive is what I thought we should have done all game."

The defeat underscores ongoing challenges for Canales as he works to shape his team's identity and effectiveness on both sides of scrimmage.