Week 11 | November 16, 2025 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA Final: Carolina Panthers 30, Atlanta Falcons 27 (OT) | Attendance: 70,739 | TV: FOX
Bryce Young left the field in the first quarter to get his ankle re-taped. He came back, threw for 448 yards — a Carolina Panthers franchise record — and drove the offense to a 28-yard Ryan Fitzgerald field goal in overtime that finished Atlanta 30-27 on November 16, 2025.
The Panthers trailed 21-10 at halftime. Young absorbed five sacks. He still put up the biggest passing performance in franchise history, topping Cam Newton’s 432-yard game against Green Bay from September 2011.
Atlanta’s problems ran deeper. Michael Penix Jr. left the third quarter with a left knee injury. Drake London was ruled out at the start of overtime with a knee issue of his own. The Falcons fell to 3-7 and their fifth consecutive loss. Carolina climbed to 6-5, a half-game behind first-place Tampa Bay in the NFC South.
Table of Contents
Scoring Summary
| Qtr | Time | Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 5:25 | CAR | Tetairoa McMillan 7-yd pass from Bryce Young (Fitzgerald kick) | CAR 7–0 |
| 1st | 3:33 | ATL | Bijan Robinson 4-yd rush (Gonzalez kick) | 7–7 |
| 2nd | 7:52 | ATL | Bijan Robinson 1-yd rush (Gonzalez kick) | 7–14 |
| 2nd | 1:41 | ATL | Tyler Allgeier 1-yd rush (Gonzalez kick) | 7–21 |
| 2nd | 0:25 | CAR | Fitzgerald 29-yd FG | 10–21 |
| 3rd | 12:04 | CAR | Xavier Legette 36-yd pass from Young (2-pt failed) | 16–21 |
| 3rd | 0:58 | CAR | Fitzgerald 34-yd FG | 19–21 |
| 4th | 2:43 | ATL | Gonzalez 52-yd FG | 19–24 |
| 4th | 1:08 | CAR | McMillan 12-yd pass from Young (Coker 2-pt conv.) | 27–24 |
| 4th | 0:16 | ATL | Gonzalez 45-yd FG | 27–27 |
| OT | 5:10 | CAR | Fitzgerald 28-yd FG | CAR 30–27 |
Bryce Young: 448 Yards, Three Touchdowns, No Interceptions
Young went to the locker room after taking a hit on his right ankle midway through the first quarter. He missed one snap, came back re-taped, and threw for the better part of 450 yards against a defense that pressured him 16 times and sacked him five.
His adjusted completion rate finished at 82.9 percent, per PFF. He generated a +0.34 EPA per passing play, ranking at the 84th percentile league-wide. He hit 12 completions of 15 or more yards, those alone accounting for 318 of his 448 total passing yards.
“I was able to come back and get re-taped. Regardless, I just wanted to be back with my guys. I don’t take these games for granted. Any time that I am able to go, I always want to do that. So in the moment, you’re just working through pain.” — Bryce Young
On breaking the record Newton held for 14 years:
“It’s definitely an honor. I have so much respect for Cam and all he has accomplished. To be able to be mentioned with Cam, it’s definitely an honor.” — Bryce Young
Panthers Passing
| Player | C/ATT | YDS | AVG | TD | INT | SACKS | LNG | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce Young | 31/45 | 448 | 10.0 | 3 | 0 | 5–29 | 54 | 123.2 |
The Receiving Room That Backed Him Up
Rookie Tetairoa McMillan finished with eight catches on 12 targets for 130 yards and two touchdowns, posting a 79.9 PFF grade on 69 snaps. He scored the first touchdown of the game in the opening quarter on a 7-yarder, then caught the go-ahead 12-yard score with 1:08 left in the fourth to give Carolina a 25-24 lead.
Jalen Coker secured the two-point conversion on that drive.
Xavier Legette’s 36-yard touchdown in the third quarter over Atlanta fill-in cornerback Natrone Brooks pulled Carolina back to within five at 16-21. Tommy Tremble’s 54-yard catch in overtime set up Fitzgerald’s winner.
“Our guys, the tight end room, the running backs, and especially our receivers coming in and making plays — that only makes my job easier, makes Bryce’s job easier, and makes the play caller’s job easier.” — Tetairoa McMillan
Panthers Receiving
| Player | TGT | REC | YDS | TD | YPR | YAC | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tetairoa McMillan | 12 | 8 | 130 | 2 | 16.3 | 52 | 39 |
| Xavier Legette | 8 | 4 | 83 | 1 | 20.8 | 33 | 36 |
| Rico Dowdle | 7 | 5 | 55 | 0 | 11.0 | 77 | 28 |
| Tommy Tremble | 2 | 1 | 54 | 0 | 54.0 | 50 | 54 |
| Jalen Coker | 4 | 4 | 52 | 0 | 13.0 | 7 | 21 |
| Mitchell Evans | 2 | 2 | 28 | 0 | 14.0 | 9 | 25 |
| Ja’Tavion Sanders | 4 | 4 | 22 | 0 | 5.5 | 11 | 10 |
| Brycen Tremayne | 2 | 2 | 17 | 0 | 8.5 | 3 | 11 |
| Chuba Hubbard | 3 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7.0 | 11 | 7 |
Atlanta’s First Half: Robinson and a 14-Point Lead
For two quarters, the Falcons controlled this game. Bijan Robinson ran 23 times for 104 yards, scored twice, and forced eight missed tackles, the most of any player on either roster. He also added four catches for 39 yards. The Falcons held a 21-7 lead at halftime behind Robinson’s work and three rushing touchdowns in total.
Penix was sharp before he left: 13 of 16 for 175 yards on 41 snaps, a 112.2 passer rating, and an 85.3 PFF grade. He scrambled for 9 yards on the one designed run he got. He didn’t throw an interception. He also didn’t play the fourth quarter.
The left knee injury that sidelined him in October against Miami came back in the third quarter. Kirk Cousins replaced him and went 6 of 14 for 48 yards, a 52.1 passer rating, two punts in the fourth quarter, and one more in overtime.
Falcons Passing
| Player | C/ATT | YDS | AVG | TD | INT | SACKS | LNG | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Penix Jr. | 13/16 | 175 | 10.9 | 0 | 0 | 0–0 | 41 | 112.2 |
| Kirk Cousins | 6/14 | 48 | 3.4 | 0 | 0 | 0–0 | 11 | 52.1 |
Falcons Rushing
| Player | ATT | YDS | TD | YPC | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bijan Robinson | 23 | 104 | 2 | 4.5 | 19 |
| Tyler Allgeier | 3 | 10 | 1 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Michael Penix Jr. | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9.0 | 9 |
| Kirk Cousins | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2.0 | 2 |
Falcons Receiving
| Player | TGT | REC | YDS | TD | YPR | YAC | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drake London | 9 | 7 | 119 | 0 | 17.0 | 47 | 41 |
| Bijan Robinson | 5 | 4 | 39 | 0 | 9.8 | 43 | 11 |
| Darnell Mooney | 7 | 3 | 34 | 0 | 11.3 | –3 | 20 |
| Kyle Pitts | 3 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 7.0 | 3 | 7 |
| David Sills V | 2 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11.0 | 0 | 11 |
| Tyler Allgeier | 2 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 3.0 | 11 | 4 |
Panthers Rushing
Carolina’s ground game produced 67 yards on 25 carries. Rico Dowdle led with 19 attempts for 45 yards and was the primary ball carrier throughout.
| Player | ATT | YDS | TD | YPC | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rico Dowdle | 19 | 45 | 0 | 2.4 | 6 |
| Chuba Hubbard | 4 | 21 | 0 | 5.3 | 6 |
| Trevor Etienne | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2.0 | 2 |
| Bryce Young | 1 | –1 | 0 | –1.0 | –1 |
Full Team Stats
| Stat | Carolina | Atlanta |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 486 | 348 |
| Net Passing Yards | 419 | 223 |
| Rushing Yards | 67 | 125 |
| Completions/Attempts | 31/45 | 19/30 |
| Total Plays | 75 | 58 |
| Yards Per Play | 6.5 | 6.0 |
| First Downs | 22 | 23 |
| Passing First Downs | 20 | 11 |
| Rushing First Downs | 2 | 8 |
| Penalty First Downs | 0 | 0 |
| 3rd Down Conv. | 6/17 (35%) | 4/11 (36%) |
| 4th Down Conv. | 3/5 (60%) | 0/0 |
| Red Zone (Scored/Att) | 2/6 | 3/3 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| Fumbles Lost | 0 | 1 |
| Sacks Allowed | 5–29 yds | 0–0 |
| Penalties–Yards | 8–49 | 6–44 |
| Avg Plays Per Drive | 6.8 | 6.2 |
| Avg Yards Per Drive | 37.3 | 29.1 |
| Time of Possession | 37:07 | 27:43 |
Atlanta reached the red zone three times and scored on all three. Carolina got there six times, scored two touchdowns, and kicked three field goals on the remaining trips. The possession gap across regulation and overtime ran more than nine minutes in Carolina’s favor.
Defense
Panthers Defense
| Player | POS | TOT | SOLO | AST | SACKS | TFL | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tre’von Moehrig | S | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Claudin Cherelus | LB | 10 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Christian Rozeboom | LB | 10 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Scott | S | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Corey Thornton | CB | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Nic Scourton | ED | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaycee Horn | CB | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chau Smith-Wade | CB | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bam Martin-Scott | LB | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Mike Jackson | CB | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| A’Shawn Robinson | DE | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trevis Gipson | ED | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bobby Brown III | DT | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Princely Umanmielen | ED | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Maema Njongmeta | LB | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Thomas Incoom | LB | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D.J. Wonnum | ED | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tershawn Wharton | DT | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| LaBryan Ray | DE | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Brown | DT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Falcons Defense
| Player | POS | TOT | SOLO | AST | SACKS | TFL | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ronnie Harrison | LB | 11 | 9 | 2 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Jessie Bates III | S | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A.J. Terrell | CB | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Kaden Elliss | LB | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Natrone Brooks | CB | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Billy Bowman Jr. | CB | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalon Walker | ED | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kentavius Street | DI | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| David Onyemata | DI | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LaCale London | DI | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Ruke Orhorhoro | DI | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| James Pearce Jr. | ED | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Xavier Watts | S | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Khalid Kareem | ED | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Cobee Bryant | CB | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DeMarcco Hellams | S | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| KhaDarel Hodge | WR | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arnold Ebiketie | ED | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Dorlus | DI | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Feleipe Franks | TE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| JD Bertrand | LB | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Atlanta totaled five sacks. Natrone Brooks, filling in for inactive corners Dee Alford and Mike Hughes, allowed 108 coverage yards on eight targets with a 145.8 passer rating against him, per PFF. Carolina went at him repeatedly in the third quarter and converted both times.
Kicking, Punting and Special Teams
Kicking
| Player | Team | FG | PCT | Long | XP | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Fitzgerald | CAR | 3/3 | 100% | 34 | 1/1 | 10 |
| Zane Gonzalez | ATL | 2/2 | 100% | 52 | 3/3 | 9 |
Gonzalez kept Atlanta alive twice in the final two minutes of regulation: a 52-yarder at 2:43 to go up 19-24, and a 45-yarder with 16 seconds left to tie it at 27. Fitzgerald answered with three field goals, including the 28-yard overtime winner.
Punting
| Player | Team | PUNTS | YDS | AVG | LNG | In 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Martin | CAR | 3 | 140 | 46.7 | 50 | 2 |
| Bradley Pinion | ATL | 5 | 255 | 51.0 | 55 | 2 |
Kick Returns
| Player | Team | RET | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chuba Hubbard | CAR | 2 | 51 | 25.5 | 26 | 0 |
| Trevor Etienne | CAR | 1 | 26 | 26.0 | 26 | 0 |
| Natrone Brooks | ATL | 4 | 75 | 18.8 | 23 | 0 |
| Jamal Agnew | ATL | 2 | 58 | 29.0 | 39 | 0 |
Punt Returns
| Player | Team | RET | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trevor Etienne | CAR | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 9 | 0 |
| Jamal Agnew | ATL | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
Fumbles
| Player | Team | FUM | LOST | REC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natrone Brooks | ATL | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Jamal Agnew | ATL | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Darnell Mooney | ATL | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Ryan Neuzil | ATL | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Princely Umanmielen | CAR | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Brooks’ fumbled kickoff return in the third quarter handed Carolina the ball at Atlanta’s 32-yard line. The Panthers were stopped on fourth down from the 8 and didn’t score off the turnover, but the field position shift kept pressure on Atlanta’s defense throughout the second half.
Injury Report
| Player | Team | Injury | Game Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce Young | CAR | Right ankle (1st quarter) | Returned; missed 1 snap |
| Michael Penix Jr. | ATL | Left knee (3rd quarter) | Did not return |
| Drake London | ATL | Knee (start of OT) | Did not return |
| Trevin Wallace | CAR | Shoulder | Inactive |
| Dee Alford | ATL | Concussion | Inactive |
| Mike Hughes | ATL | Neck | Inactive |
| Leonard Floyd | ATL | Hamstring | Inactive |
| Zach Harrison | ATL | Knee | Inactive |
| Matthew Bergeron | ATL | Ankle | Inactive |
Chris Lindstrom (ATL, foot) started after returning to practice the day before the game.
Five Losses and No Answer for It
The Falcons went three-for-three in the red zone and still lost. They out-rushed Carolina 125-67. They sacked the opposing quarterback five times. None of it held when Cousins was under center in overtime and Atlanta’s secondary was running out of healthy corners.
Raheem Morris, in his second season, took direct accountability after a loss that sent Atlanta to 3-7 with five straight defeats:
“We got to find a way to make plays. I keep saying it every single week: Somebody’s got to make a play at the end, whether it be offense, defense or special teams. We had some opportunities and were not able to get it.”
“There’s no such thing as a losing team. There’s only a losing leader, and I’m the leader, and we lost.” — Raheem Morris, Falcons Head Coach
Carolina’s 30-27 overtime win completed a season sweep of Atlanta, outscoring the Falcons 60-27 across both meetings in 2025. Young’s franchise-record 448 yards in this Panthers vs. Falcons matchup stood as the single-game high in Carolina history heading into the second half of the season.
All stats via ESPN, Pro Football Reference, and Pro Football Focus. Game played November 16, 2025.
