Panthers 23, Commanders 21: 4th Quarter Comeback Falls Short For Washington

The Commanders nearly come out on top of the preseason opener.

The Washington Commanders are dejected after a furious fourth-quarter comeback fell short in a 23-21 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Saturday's preseason opener.

Kicker Zane Gonzalez knocked down a 45-yard field goal with 24 seconds to go to take the two-point lead, but it was a miracle that the Commanders were even in the game at all.

It looked bleak for the Commanders, trailing by 14 points going into the fourth quarter, but fifth-round rookie quarterback Sam Howell saved the day.

Howell entered the game in the third quarter, but didn't trigger a ton of success, converting just one first down in his first two drives.

However, Howell and the offense woke up in the fourth quarter with two electric drives that ended in two rushing touchdowns from the former North Carolina quarterback.

Howell's heroics, on top of third-round rookie Brian Robinson Jr.'s second-quarter touchdown, put the Commanders on top Saturday.

While the rookies shined, there was a mixed bag from the rest of the supporting cast.

Starting quarterback Carson Wentz made his Commanders debut, and while he struggled in the beginning, his final drive ended in a touchdown to give Washington a slight bit of momentum.

The baton was passed to Taylor Heinicke, who probably wishes he had a do-over, especially on his pass that was intercepted by Panthers cornerback Duke Dawson.

Starting running back Antonio Gibson also had a start to forget today. His day ended after a fumble recovered by rookie defensive end Amare Barno.

Defensive end William Bradley-King's face mask penalty on the final drive helped push the Panthers into field goal territory, leading to the loss.

The Commanders resume preseason action next Saturday on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.