Panthers erase 17-point deficit in 27-24 win over Dolphins

By Canadian Press on October 5, 2025.

CHARLOTTE. N.C. (AP) — Bryce Young threw a go-ahead, 4-yard touchdown pass to Mitchell Evans with 1:59 remaining, Rico Dowdle ran for 206 yards and a score, and the Carolina Panthers overcame a 17-point first-half deficit to beat the Miami Dolphins 27-24 on Sunday.

Young completed 19 of 30 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns after turning the ball over on Carolina’s first two possessions, leading to two touchdown passes by Tua Tagovailoa and a 17-0 Miami lead.

Making his first start for the Panthers, Dowdle matched the second-highest rushing total in franchise history.

The Panthers (2-3) remained unbeaten at home and equaled a franchise record with their 17-point comeback. Carolina improved to 4-117 (including playoffs) when trailing by 17 or more.

Tagovailoa finished 27 of 36 for 256 yards with TD passes to De’Von Achane, Darren Waller and Jaylen Waddle in Miami’s first game since Tyreek Hill sustained a season-ending knee injury.

The Panthers took the lead midway through the fourth quarter on a 1-yard TD run by Dowdle, but Tagovailoa answered quickly with a 46-yard touchdown pass to Waddle to put the Dolphins ahead 24-20 with 4:50 left.

The Panthers responded with an impressive drive sparked Young’s 17-yard pass to rookie Jimmy Horn on fourth-and-5. Evans’ TD catch was his second score in two games.

The Dolphins (1-4) had a chance to retake the lead, but Patrick Jones II sacked Tagovailoa for a 7-yard loss on third-and-10. Miami coach Mike McDaniel elected to punt with 1:10 left.

On Carolina’s ensuing drive, Miami’s Jack Jones was flagged for pass interference on Hunter Renfrow on a third-down play, giving Carolina a game-sealing first down.

The Dolphins were held to 19 yards rushing, and Tagovailoa was sacked three times.

The momentum changed late in the second quarter when Young found struggling wide receiver Xavier Legette for a 7-yard touchdown strike to cut the lead to 17-7. Legette had come into the game with just 8 yards receiving on four catches this season and had sat out the last two games with a hamstring injury.

A field goal by Ryan Fitzgerald on the final play of the half got Carolina within 17-10. Dowdle’s 53-yard burst set up another field goal to open the second half.

Dowdle, a free-agent pickup from Dallas, also had a 43-yard run. He came within 5 yards of breaking the franchise single-game rushing record held by DeAngelo Williams.

VIKINGS 21, BROWNS 17

LONDON (AP) — Vikings receiver Jordan Addison caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Carson Wentz with 25 seconds left to give Minnesota a victory over Cleveland at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The 10-play, 80-yard drive gave the Vikings (3-2) a much-needed win on their historic international road trip, which started with a 24-21 loss to the Steelers in Dublin last week.

The Vikings improved to 5-0 all time in London.

It also spoiled Dillon Gabriel’s first NFL start, as the Browns rookie put his team (1-4) in position to win by throwing two touchdown passes. Fellow rookie Quinshon Judkins rushed for 110 yards on 23 carries.

Wentz shook off a shoulder injury that briefly sent him to the locker room and led two scoring drives in the second half after the Vikings trailed 10-7 at halftime. The veteran finished 25 of 34 for 236 yards and the touchdown pass.

COLTS 40, RAIDERS 6

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jonathan Taylor ran for three touchdowns and a 2-point conversion, and Daniel Jones threw two touchdown passes as Indianapolis routed Las Vegas.

The 34-point margin was Indy’s largest since it won 37-3 at Jacksonville in 2013.

Jones finished 20 of 29 for 212 yards and moved to 4-1 as a starter this year, surpassing his combined victory total over the past two seasons with the New York Giants. Taylor rushed 17 times for 66 yards and caught three passes for 20 yards — ending a streak of nine straight games with 95 yards or more from scrimmage.

The Colts (4-1) took full advantage of the Raiders’ miscues. They converted a blocked punt, two interceptions and a turnover on downs into TDs.

Las Vegas (1-4) lost its fourth straight on another productive day for Ashton Jeanty. The rookie had 14 carries for 67 yards and five receptions for 42 yards. Geno Smith was 25 of 36 for 228 yards with the two picks.

TEXANS 44, RAVENS 10

BALTIMORE (AP) — C.J. Stroud threw for 244 yards and four touchdowns, and Houston strolled to a win over a depleted Baltimore team, matching both the most lopsided road win in Texans’ history and the most lopsided home loss in Ravens’ history.

Baltimore (1-4) was without two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, and that was far from its only problem. Defensive standouts Kyle Hamilton, Roquan Smith and Marlon Humphrey all missed the game, and the Ravens already were weakened on that side of the ball because of a neck problem that ended Nnamdi Madubuike’s season. Baltimore was also without All-Pro fullback Patrick Ricard and tackle Ronnie Stanley.

The Texans (2-3) outgained the Ravens 417-207 and won their second straight game after losing their first three. Houston scored on its first eight possessions before Stroud exited after a 23-for-27 passing day.

Cooper Rush threw for 179 yards and was intercepted three times for Baltimore. The Ravens have lost 10 of their last 12 games when playing without Jackson.

Before the season, this probably looked like one of the toughest games on Houston’s schedule. The Texans had lost six straight to the Ravens and failed to score an offensive touchdown in the last three meetings. That drought ended immediately Sunday, when Houston drove 67 yards in 10 plays on the game’s first possession and scored on a 5-yard pass from Stroud to Xavier Hutchinson.

COWBOYS 37, JETS 22

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Dak Prescott threw two of his four touchdown passes to Jake Ferguson, Dallas scored on two 90-yard drives in the second quarter with a makeshift offensive line missing four starters and the Cowboys rolled past winless New York.

Javonte Williams ran for 135 yards and a touchdown and also caught a TD pass, George Pickens also had a TD reception and the Cowboys (2-2-1) bounced back from a disappointing 40-40 tie against Green Bay last week.

Prescott finished 18 of 29 for 237 yards behind a line that had left guard Tyler Smith (knee), left tackle Tyler Guyton (concussion), right guard Tyler Booker (ankle) and center Cooper Beebe (foot) all out. Right tackle Terence Steele was the only regular starter playing.

The Cowboys’ victory gave coach Brian Schottenheimer a win over the team for which he was the offensive coordinator from 2006-11. It also kept the Jets (0-5) winless under Aaron Glenn, who’s the first coach in franchise history to begin his tenure with five losses. It’s New York’s fourth 0-5 start and first since starting 0-13 in 2020 under Adam Gase.

Dallas’ defense, which has struggled without Micah Parsons, didn’t let Justin Fields and the Jets do much until the game was well in hand. The Cowboys had five sacks of Fields, who was 32 of 46 for 283 yards and late touchdown passes to Andrew Beck and Garrett Wilson, along with 2-point conversion tosses to Mason Taylor and Josh Reynolds.

SAINTS 26, GIANTS 14

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Spencer Rattler passed for an 87-yard touchdown to Rashid Shaheed, safety Jordan Howden returned a fumble 86 yards for a score, and New Orleans defeated turnover-prone New York for the Saints’ first victory under rookie coach Kellen Moore.

Rattler earned his first victory in 11 career starts, passing for 225 yards without a turnover, while Shaheed finished with four catches for 114 yards for the Saints (1-4).

Giants rookie QB Jaxson Dart, who won his first career start last week, passed for 202 yards and two touchdowns, but also turned the ball over three times, the first when the ball slipped from his hand during a scramble in the third quarter. Defensive end Cameron Jordan recovered as Dart, laying across Jordan’s legs, disgustedly put both hands over his face.

Dart threw his first two career interceptions in the fourth quarter — both caught by Kool-Aid McKinstry for his first-career picks.

New York (1-4) turned the ball over five times in all, none more costly than when running back Cam Skattebo was stripped by defensive tackle Bryan Bresee at the Saints 12-yard line, giving Howden the chance to scoop up the loose ball on the 14 and sprint untouched the other way early in the fourth quarter.

BRONCOS 21, EAGLES 17

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bo Nix threw an 11-yard touchdown pass and J.K. Dobbins rushed for a 2-yard score in the fourth quarter as Denver wiped out a 14-point deficit to hand Philadelphia its first loss of the season.

The Broncos batted down Jalen Hurts’ last-gasp pass on the final play of the game to send the Super Bowl champions to just their second loss in their last 22 games.

The Broncos (3-2) caught a huge break in their rally when the Eagles had a late fourth-down conversion called back on an illegal shift penalty whistled against running back Saquon Barkley. The Eagles (4-1) were forced to punt and Hurts could not lead one more comeback.

His final heave on second-and-10 from the 29 was knocked down as time expired to send the jubilant Broncos into the locker room with an improbable win. Nix waved his arms in celebration toward dozens of Broncos fans in orange that stood near the visitors tunnel.

The Associated Press