By Steve Reed, AP Sports Writer and Louis Fernandez, WRAL Sports

New York Giants	17
Carolina Panthers	20
F/OT

The Carolina Panthers had the lead for nearly the entire game. When the Giants tied the game at 17 with a last-minute field goal, it felt like another, “here we go again” moment. But defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson forces a fumble on the first play of overtime, linebacker Josey Jewell recovers the ball, and kicker Eddy Pineiro nails the 36-yard field goal to give Carolina the 20-17 win in Germany.

It’s the first back-to-back win for the Panthers since 2022, nearly two years ago. It’s also Carolina’s first overtime win since Nov. 7, 2015.

Quarterback Bryce Young won consecutive games as the starting quarterback for the first time in his professional career. He finished 15/25 for 126 yards and a touchdown. He added 30 yards on the ground. Running back Chuba Hubbard finished with a career-high 153 yards rushing and a touchdown. It’s the 6th 100-yard rushing game of his career.

The Panthers, now with a 3-7 record, have their bye next week. They’ll host the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 24.

Panthers 17, Giants 17 – OT / 9:49 remaining

The Giants fumble! A’Shawn Robinson forces a Tyrone Tracy fumble and Josey Jewell recovers the ball just outside of the red zone. An Eddy Pineiro field goal would win it for the Panthers.

Panthers 17, Giants 17 – End of regulation

We have overtime in Germany. Former Duke Blue Devil Daniel Jones leads the Giants on a 12-play 55-yard drive and former Carolina Panther Graham Gano hits a field goal from 42 yards out. The Giants will get the ball first. In the event they score a touchdown, the game is over. If Giants kick a field goal or don’t score, the Panthers will get the opportunity to answer.

Panthers 17, Giants 14 – 4th quarter / 5:56 remaining

Carolina’s defense makes a play! On a 3rd and 7 from the Panthers 8-yard line linebacker Josey Jewell ripped the ball away on a pass to running back Tyrone Tracy, his first interception of the season.

Panthers 17, Giants 14 – 4th quarter / 8:01 remaining

Chuba Hubbard has been a star for Carolina today, but the running back fumbled the ball deep in Panthers territory. It was an awkward tackle and his knee bent at an uncomfortable angle. He was able to walk off the field on his own and is walking around on the sideline, but the Giants will have a chance to tie or take the lead.

Panthers 17, Giants 14 – 4th quarter / 8:33 remaining

The Giants aren’t going away in Germany. Daniel Jones takes New York on a 96-yard touchdown drive, capping it off with his own 2-yard touchdown run. With 8:33 left in the contest, Bryce Young and Carolina’s offense will try to make it a two-possession lead.

Panthers 17, Giants 7 – End of the third quarter

Panthers 17, Giants 7 – 3rd quarter / 3:33 remaining

Carolina’s offense continues to move the ball on the ground, going 80 yards in 10 plays, capping off the drive with a 1-yard Chuba Hubbard touchdown run. Hubbard now has 138 rushing yards on the day. Young even got in on the action, picking up 24 yards on a scramble.

Panthers 10, Giants 7 – 3rd quarter / 8:54 remaining

We’ve got a ball game. The Giants offense comes out strong to start the second half going 65 yards down the field in 10 plays. Running back Tyrone Tracy scored on a 32-yard rung to get the Giants on the board. He has 84 yards rushing so far in this one. New York converted three third downs on the drive.

Panthers 10, Giants 0 – Halftime

To use coach speak – the Carolina Panthers are playing complimentary football through 30 minutes against the New York Giants in Germany. The Panthers offense has 190 total yards in the first half. Quarterback Bryce Young is 10/16 for 94 yards and a touchdown. Running back Chuba Hubbard has 104 total yards of offense.

Carolina’s defense is taking advantage of a struggle Giants squad. Former Duke quarterback Daniel Jones is just 6/14 for 54 yards. New York had the ball deep in Panthers territory, but Jones’ pass was tipped into the air and intercepted by Xavier Woods.

The Giants will get the ball to start the second half.

Panthers 10, Giants 0 – 2nd quarter / 14:55 remaining

Eddy Pineiro hits a 53-yard field goal to give Carolina a two-possession lead, 10-0.

Panthers 7, Giants 0 – End of the first quarter

45 minutes left in this one and you wonder if the Panthers should play more games overseas. Carolina is outgaining the Giants 157-16. Bryce Young is 7/9 for 78 yards and a touchdown. I’d argue it’s been his best quarter as a pro. Running back Chuba Hubbard has 9 carries for 83 yards and the pair of rookie receivers, Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker are making plays. Carolina has a chance to kick a long fieldl goal to start the second quarter.

Panthers 7, Giants 0 – 1st quater / 7:48 remaining

8 plays. 90 yards. 4 minutes. The Carolina Panthers are on the board. After going three and out to start the game, Carolina puts together an impressive offensive drive that started with Young hitting rookie wide receiver Xavier Legette 23 yards down field from his own 10-yard line. Running back Chuba Hubbard is fresh off of a contract extension and was explosive, racking up 56 rushing yards on the drive. Young capped off the march with a 5-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders.

1st quarter / 11:48 remaining

So far not a whole lot going on for either team. On the first drive of the game, the Panthers go three and out after former Carolina Panther Brian Burns gets a sack on quarterback Bryce Young.

The Giants draw a pass interference on the first play of their first drive (43 yards), but the defense stays strong and forces a punt.

Pregame

Bryce Young has never been to Europe.

The 23-year-old quarterback will break open a pristine passport and make his first trip overseas as the Carolina Panthers face the New York Giants on Sunday in a battle of 2-7 teams.

Young retained his starting job after leading the Panthers on a fourth-quarter touchdown drive in a 23-22 win over the New Orleans Saints last Sunday. Now, last year’s No. 1 overall draft pick is hoping to lead the Panthers to their first back-to-back wins since December of 2022.

Young got the starting nod over a healthy Andy Dalton.

Dalton had taken over as Carolina’s starter in Week 3 after head coach Dave Canales benched Young following a slow start to the season. But Dalton sprained his right thumb in a car crash and hasn’t played since. He will serve as the No. 2 quarterback for the second straight week.

“He did a fantastic job of finishing that game the right way, finding a way to win and really battling that way, so I was really proud of Bryce for that,” Canales said “I just took all the information in and wanted to give him another opportunity to get out there and face the Giants this week in Germany.”

Young, who is 3-17 as an NFL starter, said he feels grateful for the opportunity — even though his long-term future with the team remains uncertain.

“The more I’m able to experience stuff, I feel more and more comfortable,” Young said. “That’s stuff we continue to grow and build off of.”

Carolina’s defense, which has given up more points than any team in the league, will face Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, who grew up in Charlotte and rooted for the Panthers while playing at Charlotte Latin High School. Jones will go against his hometown team thousands of miles from home.

“It gives you some perspective on how far you’ve come and the opportunity you have to play in the NFL,” Jones said. “And certainly, have a lot of appreciation for that. Once the ball is snapped and kicked off, it’s just another game.”

The Giants have lost four straight, but Jones has a chance to turn things around against a porous Carolina defense.

Old teammates

Will this be the Brian Burns revenge game?

The Giants outside linebacker was drafted by Carolina with the 16th pick overall in the 2019 NFL draft. He had 59 tackles for loss and 46 sacks in 80 games with Carolina, including at least 7 1/2 sacks in each season. However, the Panthers refused to give Burns — considered one of the league’s top edge rushers — a contract extension and traded him in the offseason to New York.

Burns has five sacks and 36 tackles in nine games.

“It’s just another game to me,” Burns said. “I’m going to prepare the same way and plan to get a win in Germany.”

Going home

No one is more excited about going to Germany than Giants fullback Jakob Johnson, a native of Stuttgart.

The 29-year-old has been on the transaction wire about a dozen times this season, being signed, waived and elevated to the active roster and waived again. He’s on the practice squad this week and making the trip.

Johnson has bought 52 tickets for friends and family. When he started playing in 2007, he said Germans viewed football as an extreme sport like skateboarding. He says it’s become much more popular.

“People might be surprised how many people show up. They all might not be wearing Giants and Panthers jerseys, but they’ll come with whatever jerseys they have and they’ll be loud,” Johnson said

Brooks’ debut?

The Panthers are hoping rookie running back Jonathon Brooks will be able to make his debut, which would bolster the team’s depth in the backfield and provide a scoring threat because of his breakaway speed.

Brooks, who tore his ACL during his final season at Texas, was activated to the 53-man roster earlier this week.

Chuba Hubbard, who was rewarded with a four-year contract extension on Thursday, remains the starting running back and is expected to get the bulk of the carries. The 2021 fourth-round pick has rushed for 665 yards and five TDs while averaging 5 yards per carry.

Panthers general manager Dan Morgan said Hubbard “exemplifies everything we want on and off the field. Chuba is passionate about football, is productive and is committed to his teammates and winning.”

Ever-changing WR room

The Panthers have traded wide receivers Diontae Johnson and Jonathan Mingo, leaving them a little thin at the position. With Adam Thielen’s status still unclear — he has missed the last six weeks with a hamstring injury — the Panthers will ask tight end Jordan Matthews to line up out wide at times. Deven Thompkins could see some action, too.

“I got a lot of confidence in Jordan and we’re going to count on him to help us out too in that way,” Canales said. “That’s the hope, he’ll be able to do a little bit of both.”

Rookies Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker and veteran David Moore are expected to see the bulk of work at wide receiver.

Perfection at stake in Europe

The New York Giants are 3-0 in regular-season games played in Europe, while the Panthers are 1-0.

The Giants won in London in 2007, 2016 and 2022 and went on to make the playoffs in each of those three seasons, including one Super Bowl title. They’re one of six unbeaten teams in international games, joining Minnesota (4-0), Kansas City (3-0), Philadelphia (3-0), Dallas (1-0) and Carolina.

The Panthers beat Tampa Bay in 2019 in London.

___

AP Sports Writer Tom Canavan contributed to this report.

Source: wralsportsfan.com