Overview
- Rookie Ryan Fitzgerald converted a 49-yard game-winner as time expired after missing a long extra point earlier in the wind, a scenario the staff anticipated with a wind-aware coin-toss decision.
- Rico Dowdle started and produced 130 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries, anchoring Carolina’s 163-yard rushing day.
- Bryce Young returned from an ankle injury to start and managed the offense efficiently, finishing 11-of-20 for 102 yards with one interception and taking only one sack.
- Carolina started its seventh different offensive-line combination in nine weeks yet controlled the line of scrimmage, opening lanes and limiting Green Bay’s pass rush to minimal impact.
- Green Bay entered 5-1-1 as roughly a 13.5-point favorite, but the result moved Carolina to 5-4, dropped the Packers to 5-2-1, and gave the Panthers their first win over a team with a winning record since Dec. 11, 2022.