The Carolina Panthers took advantage of a depleted Philadelphia Eagles offense Sunday, riding a strong defensive performance, Chuba Hubbard’s 120 rushing yards and two touchdown catches from Tommy Tremble to a 25-14 victory at Lincoln Financial Field.
Bryce Young threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns without an interception, while Hubbard carried 28 times and scored on a 1-yard run. Tremble caught four passes for 46 yards, including touchdown receptions of 12 and 19 yards.
Carolina (3-2) outgained Philadelphia 399-222, held the Eagles to just 35 rushing yards and controlled the ball for nearly 35 minutes.
Philadelphia (2-4), playing without injured quarterback Jalen Hurts and star running back Saquon Barkley, managed only two touchdowns behind backup quarterback Tanner McKee.
How it happened
The Panthers struck first on Ryan Fitzgerald’s 47-yard field goal midway through the opening quarter, then extended their advantage to 10-0 when Young connected with Tremble on a 12-yard touchdown pass with 8:08 remaining in the first half.
Philadelphia answered with a 10-play, 78-yard drive capped by Dameon Pierce’s 2-yard touchdown run, cutting Carolina’s lead to 10-7 at halftime.
Fitzgerald connected from 52 yards on the Panthers’ opening possession of the second half, extending the lead to 13-7.
Carolina then put together its most impressive possession of the afternoon, marching 92 yards in 14 plays and consuming 7:43. The drive began at the Panthers’ 8-yard line late in the third quarter and included a crucial 19-yard run by Hubbard on fourth-and-1. Hubbard eventually finished it with a 1-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. A failed two-point conversion left Carolina ahead 19-7.
The Eagles responded quickly. McKee directed a 69-yard touchdown drive, finding DeVonta Smith for a 19-yard score that trimmed the Panthers’ advantage to 19-14 with 10:42 remaining.
But Carolina delivered the decisive answer.
Taking over at the Philadelphia 48 after a short punt, the Panthers needed just four plays to restore their two-score advantage. Young found Tremble for a 19-yard touchdown with 6:33 left, pushing the lead to 25-14 after a missed extra point.
The Panthers then stopped Philadelphia on downs and ran out the remaining 4:26, securing the road victory.
The Philly takeover is complete ✅✅ @CharlotteFTBL https://t.co/pauRXi3kgz — Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) October 18, 2026
Stats and notables
- Bryce Young: Completed 20 of 39 passes for 281 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He finished with a 91.9 passer rating.
- Chuba Hubbard: Rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries, averaging 4.3 yards per attempt.
- Tommy Tremble: Caught four passes for 46 yards and two touchdowns, providing Carolina’s biggest scoring plays through the air.
- Jalen Coker and Tetairoa McMillan: Coker led the Panthers with 97 receiving yards on six catches, while McMillan added six receptions for 86 yards.
- Dominant run defense: Carolina held Philadelphia to 35 rushing yards on 13 attempts. Pierce, filling in for Barkley, managed 35 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.
- Defensive standouts: Bobby Okereke led Carolina with eight tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack. The Panthers recorded three sacks and nine passes defended.
- Special teams contribution: Fitzgerald made field goals from 47 and 52 yards. Trevor Etienne returned four punts for 57 yards.
- Statistical advantage: Carolina finished with 25 first downs to Philadelphia’s 17 and held a 34:48-25:12 advantage in time of possession.
- Penalty problems: The Panthers were able to overcome being flagged 13 times for 149 yards, compared with 11 penalties for 84 yards against Philadelphia.
- No turnovers: Neither team committed a turnover despite combining for 84 pass attempts.
- Charlotte’s Philly takeover: The Panthers’ win came a day after the Charlotte 49ers beat the Temple Owls 38-31on the same field. The Carolina Hurricanes also beat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1 last Sunday, Oct. 11.
What’s next for the Panthers?
Carolina returns to NFC South competition next Sunday, Oct. 25, when the Panthers host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 1 p.m. kickoff.
The matchup gives Carolina an opportunity to build on Sunday’s road victory against a division rival.
🏈 More Carolina Panthers Coverage
Follow the Panthers throughout the 2026 NFL season with our Carolina Panthers Team Hub. Find the complete schedule, scores, team snapshot, latest news and more from NC Football News.
