Promising Signs Despite Panthers’ Loss to Cowboys: What to Know

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Following a disappointing 33-10 home loss to the Dallas Cowboys, tight end Tommy Tremble and the Carolina Panthers are focusing on the positives. Despite their 1-9 record, and rumors of their head coach being on the hot seat, they are striving to find glimmers of hope.

Tremble points to the 17-play, 70-yard drive in the third quarter of the game. In particular, he emphasizes the three fourth-down conversions in that 8-minute, 58-second drive, a message of resilience and character to the team in challenging times.

“The confidence just to drive down the field and be able to score, going for it on fourth down. That — as much as the end result wasn’t what we wanted — that helps build this team, that builds the character, that builds the grit,” Tremble said. “That’s what’s going to keep us on the right track, especially in this hard time.”

At 1-9, coach Frank Reich is dealing with one of the toughest seasons in Carolina history. He is endeavoring to prevent rookie quarterback Bryce Young from losing confidence, while facing criticism over the decision to draft him over C.J. Stroud with the top pick.

“This season has been such ups and downs that we all as men are collectively trying to keep stacking,” Tremble said. “Today you saw the progress of it and you saw the negatives. We’ve just got to fix the negatives. That’s the only thing that’s holding us back is the problems that we cause for ourselves.”

Reich echoes the same sentiment, viewing the third-quarter drive as a symbol of what’s possible. This drive saw more use of the no-huddle offense and a 12-personnel set, which opened up the running game and provided the sought-after balance Reich was aiming for.

“There are some things we found that we can kind of lean on, some bigger people on the field, and just moving the ball anyway we have to,” said Adam Thielen, who led Carolina with eight catches for 74 yards.

However, despite signs of promise, it’s evident that more improvement is required. The Panthers had only 187 yards of total offense, the fewest since Week 17 of 2021 against the New Orleans Saints.

“Yeah, you feel bad, obviously, because you know how hard he works, you know how good of a football player he is, and the results aren’t coming with that,” he said.

Nonetheless, Thielen and others remain optimistic about their quarterback and the offense’s potential. Despite the challenges, they look forward to the upcoming game against the Titans, emphasizing Young’s poise and confidence even in tough situations.