National Football League
Carolina 19, Atlanta 13
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, October 31, 2021
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Temperature: Dome
Head Official: Brad Allen
Attendance: 68583

The Carolina Panthers finally scored another touchdown and they used four Zane Gonzalez field goals to post a 19-13 win over the host Atlanta Falcons on Sunday afternoon.

The Panthers (4-4) snapped a four-game losing streak despite losing quarterback Sam Darnold to an injury late in the game.

Darnold exited midway through the fourth quarter after landing hard on the field at the end of an 8-yard run that took the ball to the Atlanta 3-yard line. Darnold, who was placed in the concussion protocol, had scrambled for 11 yards on the previous play.

Three plays later, rookie Chuba Hubbard ran in from 6 yards out for Carolina's first touchdown in a two-game span. That extended their lead to 19-10 with 6:31 remaining.

The Panthers racked up a season-high 203 rushing yards, including 82 on 24 carries by Hubbard.

Darnold completed 13 of 24 passes for 129 yards.

Matt Ryan was 20-for-27 for 146 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for Atlanta (3-4), which saw its two-game winning streak come to an end.

Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who was ruled inactive prior to the game, announced Sunday afternoon on Twitter that he needs to step away from football to focus on his mental health.

Gonzalez's 23-yard field goal late in the third quarter gave the Panthers a 12-10 lead.

Atlanta had a chance to go back ahead, but Younghoe Koo was wide right on a 45-yard attempt in the opening minute of the fourth quarter. He was good on a 53-yarder in the final minute.

Gonzalez kicked field goals from 29, 51 and 57 yards in the first half.

The Falcons led 10-9 at halftime despite gaining only 111 yards of total offense.

The teams traded field goals in the first quarter. Koo made a 46-yard kick for the Falcons -- following a Carolina fumble on the game's first possession -- and Gonzalez connected from 29 yards for the Panthers.

Ryan threw 15 yards to Cordarrelle Patterson early in the second quarter for the first touchdown of the game.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
Rushing
Carolina   Atlanta
Chuba Hubbard Player Mike Davis
24 Attempts 9
82 Yards 44
3.4 Avg Yards 4.9
1 Touchdowns 0
9 Long 18
Receiving
Carolina   Atlanta
DJ Moore Player Tajae Sharpe
4 Receptions 5
59 Yards 58
14.8 Avg Yards 11.6
0 Touchdowns 0
23 Long 17
Team Stats Summary
 
  Yards Scoring Defense
Team Tot Rus Pas TD FG INT Sck FF
Carolina 332 203 129 1 4 2 3.0 0
Atlanta 213 82 131 1 2 0 0.0 1
Upcoming Games
  • Atlanta will play their next game on the road against New Orleans. The Falcons have a W/L % of .333 after a win and .500 after a loss.
  • Carolina will play their next game at home against New England. The Panthers have a W/L % of .750 after a win and .250 after a loss.