Carolina Panthers studs and duds from loss to Philadelphia Eagles in NFL Week 14 game

Breaking down the best and worst performers for Carolina this week.

Tim Weaver | Dec 8, 2024

Dec 8, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (30) during warmups against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers played the Philadelphia Eagles tougher than most people were expecting this week. Coming in the oddsmakers had Carolina as a 13.5 point underdog, but they took Philly all the way down to the wire and wound up losing 22-16 after their 98-yard comeback drive fell short.

Here are our studs and duds for this week's game for the Panthers.

Stud: RB Chuba Hubbard

Hubbard was back to business this week after an abnormally off performance against Tampa when he was inefficient on the ground and had a lethal overtime fumble. Today the Panthers were back to leaning on him, though and he came through. Hubbard racked up 92 rushing yards and one touchdown on 26 carries despite facing a tough Eagles front seven.

Stud: QB Bryce Young

Young was a bit up and down in this one, looking strong to start and then throwing an ugly interception just before halftime that set the Eagles up for a touchdown. Young battled back, though - using his aggressive instincts and deep arm to mount a great second half. He almost led a game-winning drive, but some bad drops cost him a potential GWD. Young finished the afternoon with a line of 19/34 for 191 yards, one score, one pick and a 69.6 passer rating.

Stud: WR Adam Thielen

Thielen once again was the most clutch player on the team today, making several critical catches on third and fourth down. For an encore, Thielen also made a huge reception on a tipped pass in the red zone. Thanks to some slick route running and soft hands, Thielen ended up with nine catches for a game-high 102 receiving yards.

Dud: WR Xavier Legette

Woof. That's about all you can say about rookie wideout Xavier Legette's drop problem, which has officially become a back-breaking dynamic for Carolina's offense. In his defense, Legette made a big 31-yard catch to keep the final drive alive, but he also dropped a potential game-winning touchdown and a few other very catchable balls, too. For a first-round pick to perform this poorly this late in the year is tough to swallow.

Dud: Panthers pass protection

Carolina's offensive line has been solid all year when it comes to keeping Bryce Young and Andy Dalton clean in the pocket. That did not happen today thouh against a brutal Eagles pass rush, which had Young under constant duress and on the run. Young only took one sack but that's a credit to his mobility more than anything else - he took eight quarterback hits and a ton of pressures.

Stud: DC Ejiro Evero

Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero brought his A-game against a very potent Philadelphia offense. While his unit predictably had no luck against the run, in every other department they did quite well. Jalen Hurts was under a lot of pressure and took four sacks and five quarterback hits. Evero did an excellent job mixing coverages and sending the blitz at just the right moments.

Stud: LB Josey Jewell

Off-ball linebacker Josey Jewell continues to impress with yet another quality start for the Panthers. Jewell led the team this week with 10 total tackles, including two for a loss. He was sharp in coverage and he also had a big hand in pressuring Jalen Hurts, posting two quarterback hits. Right now Jewell looks like the team's best free agent pickup of the year.

Dud: Panthers run defense

As expected, Carolina had a difficult time slowing down Philly's run game. Saquon Barkley went off for 124 rushing yards on 20 carries (6.2 yards per attempt) and Jalen Hurts added another 61 yards and a touchdown on eight carries (7.6 yards per attempt). As a team, they totaled 211 yards on the ground and averaged almost seven yards per carry. At this point all you can do is smile and wait for Derrick Brown to come back next year.