Panthers cash in overtime fumble to beat Giants in Germany, 20-17

First, it was Saquon Barkley. On Sunday in Germany, it was A’Shawn Robinson. Free agents the Giants allowed to get away continued to come back to haunt them in their 20-17 overtime loss to the Panthers.

Robinson stripped New York running back Tyrone Tracy on the first snap of the extra period, after the Giants won the toss. The clutch play by the former Giants defensive tackle and ensuing recovery by Josey Jewell set up Eddy Pineiro’s game-ending, 36-yard field that gave Carolina (3-7) its first winning streak since Dec. 11, 2022.

“In those moments, you rely on your teammates,” said Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, who finished 15 of 25 for 126 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. “We work, we train, we believe in each other. Those are the moments why you play football. An amazing job by our defense, especially in overtime to set us up like that. They played a great game all game. Still stuff to clean up but we’re grateful to get the win.”

Carolina was grateful for both Robinson, who signed with the Panthers as unrestricted free agent after playing last season for the Giants, and Jewell. The linebacker intercepted Daniel Jones at the Panthers’ 9-yard line with six minutes left in the game, preserving his team’s 17-14 lead. And while Young didn’t get much traction in the fourth quarter, he didn’t turn the ball over. Plus, after former Panther Brian Burns sacked him on the game’s second snap, Young didn’t take a sack the rest of the game and showed poise in tough situations.

Every day is another job interview for Young, who made his third start since Andy Dalton sprained his thumb in a car accident. Incrementally getting better, Young since Dave Canales benched him in Week 3 is now 2-1 in three starts, with four touchdown passes, three interceptions and a 79.8 passer rating. Not exactly elite-level, but certainly better than his first two starts, when he was 0-2 with no touchdowns, three interceptions and a 44.1 rating. He explained the difference to NFL Network’s Sara Walsh after the game.

“Just felt more comfortable, just being able to have time to lead the offense, to be more prepared during the week,” Young said. “And also, to be able to lean on my guys. I appreciate the coaches’ stance, everything they’ve put in and what they’ve dealt with. Playing has been a blessing.”

Another blessing was Chuba Hubbard. After signing a significant contract extension this week, he answered with a career-high 158 yards on 28 carries (5.5 avg.) with a 32-yard touchdown to give the Panthers a 17-7 lead late in the third quarter.

Carolina heads into its bye on a winning note, a bonus considering the Panthers’ next assignment is a home game against the two-time defending Super Bowl champion, Kansas City, on Nov. 24.

New York, meanwhile, gets a long flight home and a long two weeks before playing again, taking a bye weekend followed by a home game against Tampa Bay in Week 12. On Sunday, the Giants (2-7) were down 10-0 at halftime, shut out by a Panthers defense that entered last in the league in both points and yards allowed per game. Tracy, who was devastated after his overtime fumble, was a bright spot for New York. The rookie had 103 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.

For more information on the Panthers and Giants, visit the Carolina and N.Y. Giants team pages at ProFootballPost.com.