NFC South

Bryce Young's performance on Sunday was one to forget.

The Carolina Panthers quarterback committed a career-high four turnovers during a lopsided 30-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

do your thing, @IsraelMukuamu 😤

📺: #DALvsCAR on FOX
📲: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/LvklCbYJ1e pic.twitter.com/j4unhbkT0g

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) December 15, 2024

Young finished 19-of-28 for 219 yards and a touchdown to go along with two interceptions. He picked up 12 more yards and a second score on the ground, but he also lost two fumbles.

Eric Kendricks picks off Bryce Young!

📺: #DALvsCAR on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/7VGaw9BOE4

— NFL (@NFL) December 15, 2024

The 23-year-old was routinely pressured by Dallas' front seven, getting sacked six times. Cowboys star pass-rusher Micah Parsons accounted for two of them

The Panthers only trailed by three points entering halftime, but the Cowboys scored 17 unanswered points to open the second half and put the game out of reach near the start of the fourth quarter.

Fans criticized Young's issues with ball security.

Career-high four turnovers for Bryce Young -- two fumbles and two INTs, that second of which was a bad, wobbly overthrow.

— Joe Person (@josephperson) December 15, 2024

The Panthers failed in so many ways in today's 30-14 loss to the Cowboys, particularly QB Bryce Young with a career-high four turnovers. They've now lost four straight to fall to 3-11 and remain in contention for the top pick of the 2025 draft.

— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) December 15, 2024

4 turnovers today for the Panthers. Two Bryce Young fumbles and two interceptions. The latest comes on 3rd and 10 from the Dallas 43. Just a bad throw.

Fans have seen enough at Da Bank and are headed for the exits. Not the display of football people were expecting.

— Carolina Blitz (@KeepBlitzin) December 15, 2024

Bryce Young was bad today, but every single game does not have to have future implications. I still believe that he is the guy, and he was eventually gonna have another bad game. This one was terrible. But let’s not excuse the defense getting chopped up by Cooper Rush.

— The Way I See It (@704SportsGuy) December 15, 2024

Bryce Young has been so good for 6 weeks. Lot to learn from today. Back to work #KeepPounding

— Panther Bo (@panther_bo) December 15, 2024

Bryce Young needs more zip on his throws

— Alterraun⚡ (@Hockfan445) December 15, 2024

I don’t want Bryce Young to be bad but he makes some of the worst decisions as QB.

Just stuff elite QBs don’t make.

— mjrkukocDFS (@mjrkukocDFS) December 15, 2024

It was a discouraging performance from Young, who threw for 878 yards and four touchdowns while getting picked off once over his prior four starts.

For the Cowboys, Cooper Rush finished 18-of-29 for 214 yards and three touchdowns without an interception.

The Panthers suffered their fourth consecutive loss, dropping to 3-11 on the season as a whole.

Bryce Young's performance since being inserted back in the starting lineup has everyone with the Carolina Panthers feeling very optimistic about their future.

Per The Athletic's Dianna Russini, David Tepper and the rest of Carolina's ownership group are "thrilled" by Young's growth over the course of this season.

Young, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft, looked like he was going to be one of the biggest busts in history. The 23-year-old was benched after Week 2 after throwing for 245 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions in two games.

Frustration was mounting for everyone, with Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen showing his emotions on the field during a 26-3 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Adam Thielen heads the sidelines with visible frustration pic.twitter.com/S9WMTV8yG9

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 15, 2024

Young only got back into the starting lineup in Week 8 because Andy Dalton was involved in an automobile accident that left him unable to play due to a thumb injury. He played well enough to keep the job after Dalton was healthy.

Since Week 10, Young has thrown for 878 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. The Panthers have lost their last three games, with two coming on the final play of the game.

Perhaps the best throw of Young's NFL career happened in the Panthers' 22-16 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He hit Xavier Legette for what would have been the game-tying touchdown before the extra point in the final minute, but the rookie receiver was unable to corral the ball before it hit the ground.

Oh my goodness.... incomplete.

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/jiFzpyWSIE

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 8, 2024

If Legette had caught the pass, it would have capped off a 97-yard drive against an Eagles defense that leads the NFL in points allowed per game.

While there's still a long way to go for Young to justify his draft position, the fact that he looks like a viable starting option right now based on where he was at two months ago is a huge win for the organization.

If the Panthers can continue to add more talent to improve their offense this offseason, Young could take another step forward in 2025.

New Orleans Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi named Jake Haener as the team's starting quarterback against the Washington Commanders on Sunday, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.

With Derek Carr expected to miss multiple weeks due to a hand fracture, Haener is slated to start the first game of his career.

Rizzi confirmed that Haener and fellow backup Spencer Rattler were competing for the first-string job throughout the week, but the Saints will now turn to their third starting quarterback in 2024 (via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk).

Rattler previously started three games earlier in the season while Carr dealt with an oblique injury, but the results were far from encouraging.

The rookie signal-caller completed 59.6 percent of his throws for 571 yards and one touchdown to go along with two interceptions. New Orleans lost all three contests, getting outscored 110-45.

Zyon McCollum comes down with the INT for Tampa!

📺: #TBvsNO on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/RzWRSJqjgi

— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2024

Even though Rattler earned a starting role before Haener, he's operated as the Saints' emergency third quarterback while his teammate sat at No. 2 on the depth chart throughout the season.

Haener, a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, has played sparingly in seven games during his 2024 campaign. He's completed 48.3 percent of his passes for 177 yards and a touchdown without getting picked off.

The Saints still sit at just 5-8 on the season as a whole, but they've won three of their past four games since the team fired head coach Dennis Allen and replaced him with Rizzi.

While Rattler may remain on the sidelines moving forward, it isn't uncommon for a fifth-round rookie to struggle at adjusting to the NFL level right away. With Haener's limited playing time, New Orleans' coaching staff may want to get an extended look at him before evaluating the position entering the offseason.

Haener could be in for a challenge on Sunday. The Commanders' defense has struggled a various points throughout the year, but they still own the NFL's fifth-best pass defense.

Kickoff between New Orleans and Washington is at 1 p.m. ET.

Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris doesn't appear to be in a rush to insert rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. into the starting offense and bench veteran Kirk Cousins.

Morris told reporters on Thursday that Penix will get the opportunity to start "when it's time," per ESPN's Marc Raimondi.

The Falcons are currently in the midst of a four-game losing streak with Cousins under center, sitting in second place in the NFC South standings with a 6-7 record.

The 36-year-old has struggled mightily during the stretch of defeats, throwing for 1,068 yards and eight interceptions without recording a touchdown throughout his last four appearances.

Another @Chargers INT!

📺: #LACvsATL on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/T9rpS1x8jf

— NFL (@NFL) December 1, 2024

On the season as a whole, Cousins has been picked off a league-leading 15 times. His 261.2 passing yards per game represents his lowest average since 2019, while his 89.0 passer rating is his worst mark since 2014.

Cousins' subpar performance is especially worrisome after he signed a massive four-year, $180 million contract to join Atlanta as a free agent in March.

Despite his turnover issues and the Falcons' inconsistent offense, Morris has remained steadfast in his approach to the top quarterback spot on the depth chart.

He confirmed that Cousins would remain Atlanta's starter following a 42-21 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

Kirk Cousins throws his 2nd pick of the day.

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/fA9m07tU4I

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 8, 2024

Dianna Russini of The Athletic also reported that the Falcons haven't held any "internal discussions" regarding a change at quarterback.

Even though Cousins is expected to retain his status as the starter, Morris also expressed his support for Penix as the team's eventual top signal-caller.

"I told you right from the beginning, he's our future," Morris said on Thursday, per Raimondi.

Penix, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, still appears to have the support of the coaching staff as a long-term option.

He may not be stepping onto the field with the first-string offense in the immediate future, though.

The Dallas Cowboys were 12-5 in each of the last three seasons.

And now they're the first team in multiple years to be underdogs against the Carolina Panthers.

As of Thursday afternoon, DraftKings lists the Panthers as three-point favorites over the Cowboys for Sunday's NFC matchup.

Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk noted Carolina has not been favored in a game since Dec. 18, 2022, when it was 2.5-point favorites over the Pittsburgh Steelers but still lost 24-16.

While Carolina is just 3-10 on the season, it has played well of late with Smith pointing out it covered the spread in each of the last five games.

Bryce Young and Co. defeated the New Orleans Saints and New York Giants in that span while also losing to the Kansas City Chiefs by three, Tampa Bay Buccaneers by three and Philadelphia Eagles by six.

Kansas City and Philadelphia are both realistic Super Bowl contenders, while Tampa Bay is leading the NFC South.

The improved play is a testament to Young, who was benched earlier this season for Andy Dalton but has responded well since being put back in the lineup. He has thrown for a combined seven touchdowns to four interceptions the last six games with just one of those picks coming in the last four contests.

He also threw for a season-high 298 yards against the Buccaneers and ran for a touchdown in that contest.

Young has flashed some of the potential that convinced the Panthers to select him with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft, and the future is now brighter in Carolina because of it.

As for the Cowboys, they are 5-8 and largely playing out the string on a lost season. Dak Prescott is out for the year with a hamstring injury, and there will be no fourth straight playoff appearance for the franchise.

Instead, it will attempt to win a game as an underdog against Carolina.

Carolina Panthers rookie wide receiver Xavier Legett is still not over his dropped touchdown catch in Sunday's 22-16 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, but he's handling the situation in stride.

During an appearance on the St. Brown Podcast, Legette was able to find the humor in the mistake and also shouldered the blame for the loss. When Detroit Lions star Amon-Ra St. Brown said "y'all" blew the chance for an upset win, the 23-year-old provided a clarification.

"It ain't 'y'all,' man, it was me," Legette said on the St. Brown Podcast as they shared a laugh.

On Carolina's final offensive possession, second-year quarterback Bryce Young launched a deep pass toward the end zone. Legette created separation from his defender and appeared to be open when he made a diving attempt to catch the ball in front of the goal line, but it hit the ground before he could secure it cleanly.

Oh my goodness.... incomplete.

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/jiFzpyWSIE

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 8, 2024

Legette said the drop ate at him so much that he even canceled his post-game plans.

"I canceled every plan I had after that. I was supposed to go to the Rod Wave concert... as soon as I got to the locker room I texted the boy like, 'Aye, cancel the suite. I ain't trying to go no more, man,'" he said.

The Panthers (3-10) will be trying to end a three-game skid when they meet the Dallas Cowboys (5-8) on Sunday.

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales and general manager Dan Morgan are reportedly being given a larger leadership role within the organization.

Panthers owner David Tepper "has taken a more hands-off approach of late," according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

"He's trying to trust Canales and GM Dan Morgan to get it right, knowing that the roster requires patience in its current state," Fowler wrote. "We shall see if he holds to that."

Tepper was approved as team owner ahead of the 2018 season. The 3-10 Panthers are on track to finish the campaign in the basement of the NFC South for the fourth time in seven seasons under his tenure.

Over that span, the franchise has recorded an overall 34-78 record and never qualified for a postseason berth.

Tepper has previously received fan criticism regarding his reported level of involvement in team operations since purchasing the team.

NBC Sports' Mike Florio reported last year that NFL sources believe Tepper was the force behind the franchise's decision to trade a bevy of picks, including the selection that would later turn into Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, for the right to draft Bryce Young in 2023.

The Tepper era has also been associated with high coaching turnover in Carolina. The Panthers have made three midseason firings over the last five years, including two (Matt Rhule in 2022 and Frank Reich in 2023) in back-to-back campaigns.

After the Panthers finished the 2023 season at the bottom of the league standings with a 2-15 record, ESPN's David Newton reported that multiple NFL executives "suggest Tepper needs to make the new hires and get out of the way."

There's a chance Tepper took those opinions to heart. The owner hired a consulting firm in order to assist him with his search for a new head coach and general manager ahead of the 2024 campaign, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, marking a change from the reportedly internal searches that resulted in the franchise hiring Reich and Rhule.

Fowler believes that Canales, who signed a six-year deal with the Panthers ahead of the 2024 campaign, "should be good" to remain with the team after this season. Given Canales' history of success with underperforming quarterbacks, his return could be an indication Morgan and Tepper are expecting Young's development to continue in 2025 despite his benching earlier this season.

Despite the Atlanta Falcons' 42-21 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, head coach Raheem Morris made it clear that Kirk Cousins will remain the starting quarterback over rookie Michael Penix Jr.

"Kirk Cousins is our quarterback," Morris told reporters after the loss.

The 36-year-old has failed to find the end zone in the Falcons' last four games while throwing eight interceptions during a four-game losing streak that dropped the team to 6-7.

Kirk Cousins last 4 games...

0 TD
8 INT

Falcons are 0-4 😳 pic.twitter.com/15AXDqM5iD

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 8, 2024

Cousins completed 23-of-37 passes for 344 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions in his return to Minnesota, where he spent six seasons before joining Atlanta.

"Everything is always discussed when you go watch the tape and do all those types of things... We'll have the ability to go watch this tape just like we do every week. You know, Kirk played significantly better than he did the week before," Morris told reporters.

The "week before" performance in question was against the Los Angeles Chargers, where instead of two interceptions with zero touchdowns, Cousins threw four interceptions with zero touchdowns.

Kirk Cousins throws his 2nd pick of the day.

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/fA9m07tU4I

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 8, 2024

The veteran is averaging 254.3 passing yards per game this season, the second-lowest of his career in seasons where he has started at least three games. He is also facing his second-lowest career touchdown percentage this season, at 4.3%.

In addition to his sub-par performance in his first season with the Falcons, Cousins is leading the league in interceptions with 13, along with 3,052 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Cousins signed a four-year, $100 million guaranteed deal prior to the season, likely influencing the decision to keep him on the field despite his slump.

The Falcons sit 10th in the National Football Conference and second in the NFC South division, still in the hunt as they trail the 7-6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"We'll do whatever is best to go win football games and Kirk is definitely a part of that," Morris added.

The Flacons will look to pick up its first win since Week 10 as the face the 2-11 Las Vegas Raiders next Monday on the road.

After already missing a handful of games earlier this season, New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr is dealing with another injury.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Carr is expected to miss "several weeks" after suffering a "significant" fracture in his left hand:

#Saints QB Derek Carr did, in fact, suffer a significant fracture in his non-throwing hand, per me and @TomPelissero.

He’s expected to miss several weeks. Based on where we are in the season, this is almost certainly season-ending. https://t.co/4XJb9F0u2x

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 9, 2024

Saints coach Darren Rizzi added that Carr was also placed in concussion protocol:

"Derek (Carr) is dealing with a non-throwing hand injury ... As it stands at this moment, I don't believe it's going to be an IR situation, I think it's going to be a week-to-week situation ... He is in the concussion protocol also."

Darren Rizzi with an update on Carr pic.twitter.com/oAARjkoDb9

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 9, 2024

Saints interim HC Darren Rizzi said Derek Carr is in concussion protocol and also dealing with a left-hand injury that won’t need surgery and will leave the quarterback as “week-to-week.” pic.twitter.com/cR5lKxa4Dm

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 9, 2024

Carr played for most of the Saints matchup against the Giants, but exited the game after attempting to hurdle a defender in the fourth quarter. He finished with 219 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception on 20-of-31 passing.

Backup Jake Haener entered for him but did not attempt a pass.

Carr suffered an oblique injury against the Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 7 and was sidelined for three games, making his return against the Carolina Panthers on Nov. 3. In Carr's absence, rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler stepped up as the starter.

Rattler, a fifth-round draft pick out of South Carolina, threw for 571 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in the three games he started, all of which were losses. It's unclear whether the Saints will look to Rattler or Haener if Carr has to miss time. Haener, a second-year player out of Fresno State, has thrown for 177 yards and a touchdown on 14-of-19 passing.

As New Orleans has struggled this season, so has Carr. The veteran quarterback has thrown for just 1,926 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and 4 interceptions amid a 5-8 season for the Saints.

The Philadelphia Eagles took down the Carolina Panthers by the final score of 22-16 on Sunday, but Bryce Young continued his recent stretch of encouraging performances.

Young finished 19-of-34 for 191 yards and a touchdown to go along with an interception.

While he wasn't flawless, he repeatedly made plays against an Eagles defense that entered the contest allowing the fewest yards per game among all NFL teams.

Bryce Young SHEESH

📺: #CARvsPHI on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/t2kW0MnfRx

— NFL (@NFL) December 8, 2024

How can you not love a Bryce Young resurgence the last few weeks 💙

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/EsMb6loufY

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) December 8, 2024

Late in the fourth quarter, Young nearly led the Panthers on a go-ahead touchdown drive that started at their own two-yard line. After Carolina advanced to Philadelphia's 32-yard line, the 23-year-old launched a deep pass headed towards the end zone on second down.

Rookie wide receiver Xavier Legette wasn't able to make the catch, though. The Panthers couldn't move the chains on their next two plays, turning the ball over on downs and sealing the loss.

Oh my goodness.... incomplete.

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/jiFzpyWSIE

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 8, 2024

Still, fans were impressed with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft after he was benched earlier in the year.

Bryce Young, wowwwwwpic.twitter.com/CN3dD6DW6m

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 8, 2024

Every great Bryce Young drive from the last few weeks has featured him making an absolutely nails throw against the blitz in a gotta have it situation. You simply love to see it.

— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) December 8, 2024

For all intents and purposes... Bryce Young led a 98 Yard game winning touchdown drive with 3:00 left and no timeouts on the road against the #1 ranked defense in the league.

Xavier Legette had other ideas.

— Marcus Whitman (@TFG_Football) December 8, 2024

The benchings of both Bryce Young and Anthony Richardson might have actually saved both of their careers.

This is not the same Panthers offense from the first half of the year.

— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) December 8, 2024

This Panthers team has earned a ton of respect around the league over the past few weeks, and a lot of the credit goes to Bryce Young.

The future is bright in Carolina.

— Michael Bell (@avl_mike) December 8, 2024

We’ve been robbed of Bryce Young game winners three weeks in a row pic.twitter.com/Cf8V3nPr3p

— Primetime Carolina (@primetimecar) December 8, 2024

The amount Bryce Young has been let down by his receivers at times this year is nuts.

— Sam Monson (@SamMonsonNFL) December 8, 2024

Bryce Young was told he was a bust.
Bryce Young was told he was too small.
Bryce Young was told he should give up.

Bryce Young kept his head down.
Bryce Young went to work.

And now Bryce Young is shining.
The Panthers have a Franchise QB.

— Sam Block (@theblockspot) December 8, 2024

Bryce young has shown enough for the panthers to keep building around him. I don’t know what went on during the benching, but something has clicked for him

— 🎬 (@ChargersRuined) December 8, 2024

For the Eagles, Jalen Hurts finished 14-of-21 for 108 yards and two touchdowns. He also picked up 59 yards and a third score on the ground.

In six games since he returned as Carolina's starter, Young has now thrown for 1,273 yards and seven touchdowns compared to four interceptions.

The Panthers fell to 3-10 with Sunday's defeat, but their future looks brighter with each passing week as the second-year quarterback continues to improve.