Bryce Young flips Panthers-Cowboys on its head with career-long touchdown pass

Bryce Young turned things around in an instant.

Dec 15, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) looks to pass against the Dallas Cowboys during the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers were in deep trouble. Down 10-0 during a disastrous first half, the Dallas Cowboys had the ball in the red zone and were likely going to wittle down the remaining seconds on the clock and score again to at least take a 13-0 halftime lead. An unforced fumble by Cooper Rush gave the Panthers life.

With a long field to go, Bryce Young took immediate advantage. The Panthers QB had suffered a poor first half with two turnovers, his first multi-turnover game since Week 8. All Young needed was one final chance to do something in the first half and he did just that.

Bryce Young makes career-long pass to drag Panthers back into the game

One play after the fumble recovery, Bryce Young, alone in the backfield, looked downfield for a target he's sorely missed the last few weeks: Jalen Coker. Coker was wide open and Young took advantage, delivering a perfect ball that Coker did the rest on. It was an 83-yard touchdown, the longest in Young's career by a wide margin.

The Panthers had looked listless at best. The playcalling, execution, and overall demeanor were not good. That play, whether it galvanizes a true comeback or not, at least gave them some life for the moment.

The Panthers were favored in this game, the first time they were in 33 games. Yet, they acted like massive underdogs for the first 90% of the first half. They looked like a 3-10 team, not the unit that nearly upset three straight division leaders. That pass play resembled the Panthers of Weeks 9-14, not Weeks 1-8.

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