Panthers @ Jets
Final Score: Panthers 13, Jets 6
Senior Writer: Benjamin Haller (@benjaminhaller1.bsky.social on Bluesky)
Yikes! Avoid this game for any insights into fantasy aspects that might lead to a championship. There are no players on either team that will provide that kind of volume or splash. And a 13-6 scoreline in a truly awful game of football speaks to that. The most fantasy noteworthy aspects were that both teams lost their starting quarterbacks in this game due to injury (Bryce Young with an ankle injury and Justin Fields with a shoulder problem, although the word was very much “benched” once he didn’t appear after halftime), and the veteran backups (Andy Dalton and Tyrod Taylor) are known quantities that will not provide a bump in offensive output. The Panthers just about got over the line after a horrendous spectacle that totalled 11 punts, two interceptions, two turnovers on downs, and just one touchdown, which proved to be the difference, Young finding Xavier Legette at the goal line just prior to half time.
Shoutout to both defenses in this contest, who dominated at the trenches and two brilliant interceptions by former first round selection Jaycee Horn at least provided some highlight reel fodder for the neutrals.
Two up
- Rico Dowdle – do the Panthers have a running back problem? After paying Chuba Hubbard in the offseason, Rico Dowdle has proven over the past few weeks that he has an explosive manner that is hard to ignore. Hubbard returned to the starting role after injury but it was Dowdle who provided the offensive spark on ground with runs of 13 and 17 yards to move the chains on scoring drives.
- Xavier Legette – another former first round selection, Legette had his best day as a pass-catcher so far in his young NFL career by hauling in a career-high nine catches for 92 yards and the game’s only touchdown. He also cuaght the game-sealing deep ball from Dalton in the final quarter. He is starting to emerge as the lead receiver this team desperately needs.
Everybody Else Down
Carolina Panthers
Quarterback
Bryce Young: 15/25, 138 Yards, TD, Sack | 2 Carries, 10 Yards
Young impressed me with his command of the offense in the second quarter and showed his ability to create pockets to throw despite pressure. He relied heavily on short-to-intermediate throws over the middle, and showed a desire to get his speedy receivers out in the open to generate yards after the catch. The Panthers committed too many penalties in the first quarter and failed on a short run on 4th & 1 but Young hit Tet McMillan on back-to-back throws for 11 yards a piece to setup the offense in Jets territory to score what would be the game’s only touchdown. Young orchestrated another good drive that resulted in a field goal after half time but he missed a wide open Ja’Tavion Sanders for a score on third down. He showed a couple of nice moves with his feet to sustain the drive too. Young then took a sack on the next drive and was immediately limping off the field. He was actually caught high on the ankle by the studs of Jowon Briggs, who looked to try trip Young as he attempted a scramble away. Early tests came back negative but he will undergo further tests early in the week to determine the amount of damage.
Andy Dalton: 4/7, 60 Yards | 2 Carries, -2 Yards
The Panthers were in “let’s get out of here” mode when Dalton entered in place of the injured Young, and he wasn’t asked to do much and he didn’t do too much. His most meaningful contribution was a 33 yard connection with Legette on 3rd & 8 with only 1:36 left on the clock and the game still very much on the line. All eyes on the further tests for Bryce this week.
Running Back
Chuba Hubbard: 14 Carries, 31 Yards | 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 24 Yards
Hubbard started this game but failed to really show anything of note on the ground before a 24 yard catch-and-run on a screen play saw him take the ball down inside the Jets’ 5-yard line to setup the only touchdown of the game. Hubbard was eventually out-carried by Dowdle as his teammate averaged 4.6 yards per carry compared to Hubbard’s 2.2 yards per carry. The two backs alternated drives throughout the game as the Panthers look to strike a balance between their feature back and new upstart. It is unlikely that Hubbard will disappear altogether but it is worth noting that this looks to be a split backfield with plenty of opportunity.
Rico Dowdle: 17 Carries, 79 Yards | 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 17 Yards
Dowdle continued his recent good form with a number of chunk plays that got the Panthers going in on multiple series’ – back-to-back 13+ yard gains on the second series of the game was wasted as he failed to convert on fourth down at midfield later in the drive. However, Dowdle showed his speed on a 12-yard run on the opening possession of the second half to put his team in field goal range on another fourth down opportunity. Dowdle specifically excelled on pitch plays and these look designed for him especially, his ability to beat edge defenders in the outside zone scheme looking to be his most impactful asset. Though Hubbard was the starter, this was clearly a split backfield with snap share divided relatively equally (Hubbard, 38; Dowdle 33). It will be a situation to monitor moving forward.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Xavier Legette: 11 Targets, 9 Receptions, 92 Yards, TD
This was a career day for the Panthers’ future at the position as he connected well with Young on numerous drives. It could have been better too if a throw to the back of the end zone had a little more zip on it on the opening drive of the game – Legette beating his man only to see the ball land agonisingly short as he dived back toward it. The wideout had failed to haul in more than three catches in his previous five outings this season but he quickly bucked the trend with an excellent display of route running, speed and toughness in contested situations. Dalton found Legette with his first completion after stepping in, a nice contest 15-yard grab down the right sideline that caused the wideout to stay down for a short time after the catch. He came back into the game a few plays later. The two linked up for on a balloon pass from the Red Rifle for 33 yards to ice the game late in the fourth quarter.
Tetairoa McMillan: 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 33 Yards
Two of the three catches the rookie made in this game came on the touchdown drive in the second quarter as he went for back-to-back 11 yard gains, the second being on 4th & 3 as the Panthers looked to take control of the game. Both catches came out of the slot and McMillan showed nice hands and ability to run away from oncoming defenders to gain extra yardage. This was the second straight contest that Tet has been held to just three catches, the only difference being two of those last week went for scores. He drew the attention of Sauce Gardner in this game which limited his ability to get open, however it is both a good (real life) and bad (fantasy) sign that he is commanding the attention of the opposition’s shutdown cornerbacks.
Mitchell Evans: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 24 Yards
The rookie tight end has emerged as a trusted option for Young this season and he did well to reach low and haul in a 15-yard grab on the opening drive of the second half that setup first down in the red zone for Carolina. Look for him to grow into the role and assume the starting job in front of Tommy Tremble and Sanders.
Jimmy Horn Jr.: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 8 Yards | 1 Carry, 7 Yards
Tommy Tremble: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 0 Yards
Ja’Tavion Sanders: 2 Targets
Jalen Coker: 2 Targets
The impressive sophomore receiver saw the field for the first time in 2025 but failed to make an impression on the stat sheet after excelling late last year with a couple of touchdowns in the final few games. Coker showed promising chemistry with Young last term but he will need to see more opportunities than he did today to become fantasy relevant.
New York Jets
Quarterback
Justin Fields: 6/12, 46 Yards, 3 Sacks | 4 Carries, 22 Yards
This season has been a rollercoaster for Fields, who posted his third single-figure fantasy score of the season in this contest. He also has three 25+ fantasy point performances. You could argue that he is not the problem as the Jets are a dumpster fire in terms of leadership, roster construction and game management. But the tape is there to show Fields’ flaws in terms of reading defenses, throwing accuracy and decision-making. Fields was working with a depleted offensive receiving corps against the Panthers, highlighted by the absence of Garrett Wilson. He kept trying to make Josh Reynolds happen but the two could not connect on multiple targets in the first half including on a 4th & 5 on the opening possession in field goal range. Just one of the questionable calls in another Jets offensive disaster. Fields was hit hard and late on a slide that saw flags from all directions. It was good to see his teammates stick up for him. This was on a promising drive in the second quarter that eventually fizzled out into a field goal due to Taylor’s lack of ability to move the chains. Fields came back in for a couple of unproductive drives before being replaced at the half. How much the hit affected him is unknown.
Tyrod Taylor: 10/22, 126 Yards, 2 INT, 3 Sacks | 3 Carries, 11 Yards
Any notion that Taylor could come in for Fields and immediately drive the offense to a new level was quickly rebuffed in a torrid outing in which he threw two bad interceptions and flailed behind a porous offensive line that led him to scramble around trying to escape pressure. He pushed the ball down field more than Fields did but that also resulted in two interceptions. Some might say it was a little more watchable with Tyrod in the game but that’s a reach. It’s the offense that is broken, not the personnel.
Running Back
Breece Hall: 11 Carries, 38 Yards | 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 14 Yards
Consistently facing contact at the line of scrimmage, Hall struggled to find any space to manoeuvre towards holes and extend plays – his longest rush going for just 8 yards (on the Jets’ first drive of the game) and he never looked like providing a big play that would open up the field for the Jets. It’s no surprise that Hall has found room to run in the games where Fields has also excelled. In the other encounters he’s failed to muster more than 59 yards in those four games. Hall is very much a functional runner who can be productive in a functional offense. This is far from that, however.
Isaiah Davis: 2 Carries, 10 Yards | 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 22 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Tyler Johnson: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 60 Yards
A 35-yard catch from Taylor in the third quarter accounted for the Jets’ biggest play of the day and contributed to Johnson leading the team in catches and yards. He only ran 12 routes in the entire contest, however, so this is far from any specific breakout. Both chunk plays from Tyrod were on scramble plays that the quarterback improvised on.
Mason Taylor: 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 31 Yards
Despite being a handy option for Fields this season, the rookie was non-existent until catching a couple of balls in the second half with Tyrod in the game. The tight end has nice feet and he can slip out of blocking to offer an option in a stealthily manner. However, he has not been integrated in the same way as some of the other rookie tight ends across the league. Again, this is a team issue.
Josh Reynolds: 9 Targets, 3 Receptions, 24 Yards
Asked to shoulder more responsibility with Wilson missing, Reynolds could not haul in a number of passes from both quarterbacks in key situations. He mishandled two passes that should have moved the sticks and he was also the target for both interceptions that Tyrod threw in the second half, one being an end zone shot that he allowed Horn to nip in front of him. Reynolds was also outmanned on two occasions by ill-advised throws into double coverage.
Allen Lazard: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 16 Yards
Jeremy Ruckert: 1 Target
Arian Smith: 3 Targets, 1 Reception, 0 Yards