Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold finished 23 of 34 assists for 304 yards, adding two quick landings; Houston Texans rookie QB Davis Mills – in his first start in the NFL – completed 19 of 28 assists for 168 yards with one TD.
The Carolina Panthers overcame the loss of star running back Christian McCaffrey to a hamstring injury as they went 3-0 in a season with a 24-9 away win over the Houston Texans Thursday night.
The Carolina quarterback carried the team on his shoulders, shooting 304 yards and hitting the end zone twice in two bottom landings near the goal line.
Houston was competitive, capping the Panthers with just one Darnold score in the first half as they entered halftime, just one back, 7-6 back after QB rookie Davis Mills marked his first competitive start in the NFL with a touchdown. to transfer to Anthony Miller.
But Mills, who completed 19 of his 28 pass attempts at 168 yards and one TD, also secured the penalty overnight under constant pressure from Carolina’s ruthless defense, who fired him four times, bringing the season to 14 in three games and hitting him. nine times.
In the second half, the Panthers pulled away from opponents, although they suffered a second unsettling injury that night when corner-back Jaycee Horne was carried off the field in the first round of the 2021 draft on suspicion of a broken leg.
Sam Darnold is now the fastest TD in the league. pic.twitter.com/12Ub0t8fGO
– NFL (@NFL) September 24, 2021
Texans
The Panthers shot first with 88 yards in 10 games in the second possession, while Darnold ran forward from five yards, making his first of two TDs in the middle of the first quarter.
Carolina could have increased her lead in the next streak by moving the ball 81 yards in another long and time-consuming drive, but then the Texans’ defense scored them as they came in 4th and 1st of Houston’s five yards. line.
McCaffrey left the game after a two-day run earlier on the drive when rookie Chuba Hubbard, who generally did well with relief, was injured on his fourth attempt below the goal line.
