CHARLOTTE The Panthers rallied.
Twice.
And this one, they held onto.
The Panthers came back for a 27-24 win over the Dolphins Sunday at Bank of America Stadium, withBryce YounghittingMitchell Evansfor a touchdown at the two-minute warning to come back for a wild win that moved them to 2-3.
They had come back from a 17-0 deficit to take a 20-17 lead midway through the fourth quarter, onRico Dowdle's punctuation mark of a touchdown.
But the Dolphins answered immediately, with Jaylen Waddle going for a 46-yard touchdown pastMike Jacksonto give them the lead back.
But Young calmly led them downfield, with rookies helping him along.
Whether it wasTrevor Etiennecoming in for an injured Dowdle, or big connections withXavier Legette, rookie receiverJimmy Horn Jr., or the score to Evans, he showed poise.
And earlier in the day, it didn't seem like that was coming.
Like in the Arizona game, there were two turnovers early that left the Panthers in a significant hole.
Young fumbled while untouched and was picked off when he appeared to overthrow Legette.
And by the time things stabilized, the Panthers were in a 17-0 hole early in the second quarter.
After that, the game normalized, and Dowdle began to assert himself.
The running back, playing in place of the injuredChuba Hubbard, finished with 206 rushing yards and 234 from scrimmage. That's the third-best yards from scrimmage day in franchise history.
Young also threaded the needle on his touchdown pass to Legette, throwing with anticipation before Legette finished his break on the Dolphins defender.
It was a significant step for several players, but mostly a team that needed it.
The Panthers are now 2-0 at home.
Run defense makes big strides
The Panthers looked significantly better against the run in the first half, allowing Miami just 14 yards on the ground. They finished the game allowing just 19, the second-lowest rushing performance allowed in franchise history.
Starting outside linebackersD.J. WonnumandPatrick Jones IIwere back in the lineup this week after missing last week's game at New England.
HavingDerrick Brownin the middle obviously helps, but they're getting better play across the board.
Rookie outside linebackersNic ScourtonandPrincely Umanmielen(who doesn't get many base defense snaps) also had a couple of smart plays against the run.
The improvements they've made in that area can't be overstated.
