CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers had been here before — locked in a tie game with a chance to win in overtime and the ball in the hands of their most dependable player.
This time Chuba Hubbard hung on — and so did the Panthers.
Three weeks after his overtime fumble paved the way for a walk-off field goal by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Hubbard barreled through a pair of Arizona Cardinals defenders and high-stepped his way into the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown Sunday to lift the Panthers to a 36-30 overtime win at Bank of America Stadium.
It was sweet redemption for a running back who’s become one of the NFL’s best since the Panthers sent Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers at the trade deadline two years ago.
“Obviously, I was down in that moment (against Tampa Bay) but I knew I’d get another one and I’d do right by it,” Hubbard said. “So just blessed, glad to finish the right way in the Bank.”
Chuba called game
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— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) December 22, 2024
After losing back-to-back home games to Kansas City and Tampa Bay on walk-off field goals, the Panthers (4-11) closed out the home schedule on a winning note while eliminating the Cardinals (7-8) from playoff contention in the process.
Panthers edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney was pleased to play the role of spoiler, even if he didn’t realize it until a reporter told him.
“Good. They leave when we leave. I ain’t mad about that,” Clowney said. “I’m glad we knocked them out. They can go home when we go home — two weeks from now.”
The Panthers finish with divisional games at Tampa and Atlanta. Hubbard won’t catch DeAngelo Williams or Stephen Davis, but he can pass McCaffrey for third place on the Panthers’ single-season rushing list with 193 yards over the final two weeks.
“He’s him,” cornerback Jaycee Horn said. “After he fumbled, I told y’all there’s gonna be another situation where he wins the game for us and everybody’s gonna be singing his praises again. Chuba’s a helluva back. He’s been running hard all year. But we’re all human. We all make mistakes. I was definitely happy for him, to see him ice the game in OT.”
The Panthers almost blew another close game by coming up empty on their final drive of regulation and their first possession of overtime. In both cases, the Panthers had third-and-shorts and opted for pass plays instead of giving the ball to Hubbard.
Bryce Young missed an open Dan Chisena on third-and-3 near midfield, setting up the Cardinals’ game-tying drive that was capped by Chad Ryland’s 58-yard field goal as time expired. On third-and-2 in overtime, Young tripped over the foot of center Brady Christensen, who was filling in after starter Cade Mays came down with an illness Sunday morning that ripped through the team’s offensive line room.
Panthers coach Dave Canales said the Cardinals came out with some challenging defensive looks to make it difficult to run. But after Arizona punted on its only overtime possession, the Panthers took over at the Cardinals’ 49 and this time he called Hubbard’s number.
Twice.
Hubbard cut back on his first carry for a 28-yard gain — at the same end of the field where he fumbled against the Bucs. The Panthers were in field goal range for Eddy Pineiro, so Canales again called “duo,” a downhill running play with double-team blocks at the point of attack.
“That’s our bread and butter,” Hubbard said. “Whenever we’re at the goal line or need a play or 1 or 2 yards, we all believe duo’s the best play. Downhill, double teams, man against man and we’re all for it.”
The Panthers overloaded the right side, with right tackle Taylor Moton and three tight ends — Chandler Zavala, Tommy Tremble and Ja’Tavion Sanders — all blocking down. Still, Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson and cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting both had clear shots at Hubbard, who ran through both of them.
“They knew we were gonna run the ball. We were saying in the huddle, this is just an attitude type of game, type of finish. We wanted to end it on our terms,” Hubbard said. “Obviously, ball security was a big emphasis. So made sure I had two hands on the ball the whole time and everyone just blocked their asses off. I just made the right cuts and the rest was that.”
Canales has harped on the Panthers learning how to finish games. He has a closer in Hubbard.
“That’s just who he is. He’s just gonna go right back to work and we’re gonna keep giving him the ball, especially in these type of moments. It was a beautiful finish,” Canales said. “It was just an old-school, duo play and our guys fit up the blocks properly, he ran behind his pads, secured the ball and finished in the end zone.”
Canales wasn’t the only one who appreciated it.
Former running back Jonathan Stewart, who watched the game from the Panthers’ broadcast booth, said the Panthers got a bargain this fall when they signed Hubbard to a four-year extension worth $33.2 million. Hubbard’s $8.3 million annual average value ranks 10th among running backs.
“When you look at the production he’s putting out and what everyone else is getting paid as far as the production, he’s putting it out,” Stewart said.
Hubbard’s running style is reminiscent of Stewart, the franchise all-time rushing leader. Like Stewart, Hubbard has good speed and field vision. But his calling card is power.
Chuba Hubbard slips a tackle en route to the game-winning TD in overtime — his 10th touchdown run of the season. (Jim Dedmon / Imagn Images)
“The last two runs, he just ran straight through arm tackles. The last run specifically, he ran through two bodies. No one can just do that,” Stewart said. “He’s got great contact balance that allows him to (stay up). He’s nifty with his feet and creates space and lanes for himself to run.”
Hubbard finished with 25 carries for 152 yards, one shy of his single-game high against the New York Giants in Munich, the site of the Panthers’ last victory before Sunday. With Young running for a career-high 68 yards, the Panthers finished with 243 as a team — their highest total since their team-record, 320-yard day against the Detroit Lions on Christmas Eve two years ago.
It was a strong showing for an offensive line that struggled with a bug all week.
“You know how this s— goes. Somebody gets it, it kind of goes around,” said Robert Hunt, who missed two practices. “We’re with each other 24-7. We’re with each other more than our family sometimes. Hopefully, Cade feels better. That s— was no joke.”
But the Panthers looked healthy enough against a team they’ve dominated over the years. The Panthers’ .722 winning percentage (13-5) against Arizona trails only their .750 mark (6-2) against the Chargers.
The 36 points were the most in a game started by Young, who bounced back from a four-turnover game against the Dallas Cowboys last week with a clean, turnover-free outing.
Even with Cardinals running back James Conner leaving with a knee injury in the third quarter, the Panthers still gave up 200 rushing yards for the fourth week in a row and sixth time this season. But the defense came up with a stop in overtime to set the stage for Hubbard.
“I’ve told you guys throughout the year that we’re trying to build a culture, build our own identity, and it’s not just going to happen the first five games, 10 games. It’s going to take some time,” Hubbard said. “To fall short a couple times and to be in a game like this, where we come out on top, it shows that trusting the process is going to work out, and what we’re building here is going to show sooner or later.”
(Top photo of Chuba Hubbard: Matt Kelley / Getty Images)
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