Carolina Panthers studs & duds from upset win over the Dallas Cowboys

The Carolina Panthers have made a bad habit of losing games like today's against the Dallas Cowboys. This time they got the job done, though - winning a low-key shootout at home by a score of 30-27 thanks to a last-second field goal by Ryan Fitzgerald.

The Panthers wouldn't have secured the win without some big performances on both sides of the ball. Let's review this week's studs and duds for Carolina.

Stud: QB Bryce Young

Bryce Young started out the game well, throwing aggressively and accurately even when under pressure. His supporting cast was a bit shaky early on, but they came around in the second half and helped Young have his best game yet this season by far. Young's interception wasn't remotely his fault, which means he played a totally clean game for the second time this year. He ended the afternoon with a strong line of 14/20 for 174 yards, three touchdowns and a 115.4 passer rating.

Dud: HC Dave Canales

The Panthers might have taken a 7-0 lead on their first possession of the game, but head coach Dave Canales decided to kick a field goal on 4th and 2, despite being deep in Dallas territory. That sends the exact wrong message sets the wrong kind of tone for a team that needs all the inspiration it can get. It's inexcusable, especially considering how hot Rico Dowdle is right now. The operation is still too sloppy, as well - costing the Panthers a timeout and killing a promising fourth-quarter drive. Canales has to be more aggressive and get the execution issues fixed for good.

Stud: RB Rico Dowdle

Rico Dowdle got his revenge game. Dowdle picked up right where he left off last week against Miami, running with a purpose and fearlessness that makes him very difficult to bring down once he gets going. Dowdle started off hot, averaging 6.8 yards per carry on the opening drive. Dowdle kept it going all afternoon, finishing with over 200 yards from scrimmage for the second straight game and a success rate around 6,000%.

Stud: WR Tetairoa McMillan

McMillan's grotesque drop late inthe first quarter landed in the hands of Donovan Wilson, leading to an easy Cowboys touchdown. McMillan simply has to do a better job of catching a much higher percentage of the balls thrown his way. However, McMillan more than made up for the early mistake by scoring the first two touchdowns of his NFL career, including a go-ahead score in the fourth quarter.

Dud: Panthers cornerbacks

Normally their most reliable unit, this was a rough outing for Carolina's cornerback room. They had a hell of a hard time covering and tackling George Pickens and gave up too many big plays to a Cowboys offense that was missing CeeDee Lamb and several other receivers. The worst of it camefrom Mike Jackson, but Jaycee Horn also had some tough moments against Pickens, who posted nine catches, 168 yards and a touchdown.

Stud: Panthers defensive line

Whatever effects Derrick Brown may have been feeling from his Week 1 meniscus tear last season are clearly long gone. DB is back to peforming at the elite level he was at the prior season when he made his first career Pro Bowl. Brown was a force once again today for Carolina, especially plugging up the Dallas run game. A'Shawn Robinson and Bobby Brown were also very impactful up front for the Panthers today. As a team, they held the Cowboys to just 1.6 yards per carry..

Dud: Panthers pass rush

The greatest weakness for this team continues to be their pass rush, which is by far the weakest in the NFL this season. In the first half Dak Prescott suffered from almost no pressure whatsoever in the pocket, leaving him free to dice up Carolina's corners at will. At halftime the Panthers had zero sacks and just one QB hit from Tre'Von Moehrig. By the end of the game, they had only added one more QB hit, courtesy of Derrick Brown.

Stud: LB Trevin Wallace

Aside from Rico Dowdle's sudden superstardom, the biggest surprise of the month has been the surge from second-year linebacker Trevin Wallace. We were skeptical of Ejiro Evero's decision to give him the green dot, but Wallace is thriving in his new role and balling out in a way we didn't think was possible from him at this point in his career. Wallace made several key stops against Dallas, and seemed to get more active as the game went on. Even better, the defense (at least the front-seven) as a whole is performing better and making far fewer mistakes with Wallace as the centerpiece.