Game Recap

Panthers 31, Bills 26 | Final score, stats to know + highlights

Aug 24, 2024 at 05:24 PM

Dorian Alerte

Contributing Correspondent

Frank Gore Jr. Buffalo Bills vs Carolina Panthers, Preseason, August 24, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.

Location: Highmark Stadium

Final score: Panthers 31, Bills 26

Records: Bills (1-2), Panthers (1-2)

Next opponent: Bills vs Cardinals on Sunday, September 8 at 1 pm ET

The Buffalo Bills (1-2) ended the 2024 preseason with a 31-26 loss to the Carolina Panthers (1-2).

Without the starters on Saturday afternoon, QB Ben DiNucci and QB Anthony Brown split the first and second half, the former throwing for 76 yards, adding in 14 yards on the ground and a touchdown through the air, and the latter throwing for 102 yards, with only one incomplete pass. RB Frank Gore Jr. led all rushers with 101 yards on the ground. DB Te'Cory Couch led all defenders with nine total tackles and a sack.

1. Long Drives to start

Coming out of the gate, both Bryce Young and DiNucci led their teams on long drives that utilized nearly the entire first quarter.

Young marched the Panthers down the field on a 12-play touchdown drive, finding five different receivers in the process. He found TE Jordan Matthews for the touchdown on a third and goal from the eight-yard line across the middle.

The drive was nearly stalled when Young was sacked by Couch on a second-and-six, but Young found WR Diontae Johnson for 17-yards on fourth down.

DiNucci came out immediately after and tried to match what the Panthers did and led a 16-play, 61-yard drive that ended in a Tyler Bass 31-yard field goal. After fumbling and recovering the snap, DiNucci kept the long drive alive on third-and-five by rushing for 16-yards, the longest play of the opening drive.

2. Offense scores first touchdown of preseason

After a turnover-on-downs from the Panthers offense, and backup QB Jack Plummer, DiNucci and the offense got busy.

Starting from their own 39-yard line, DiNucci found WR Deon Cain twice, with a long 17-yard rush from Gore Jr. mixed in between receptions. DiNucci then found RB Darrynton Evans for an 18-yard touchdown, where he was able to shake a defender away, running up the left sideline.

Bass punched in the extra point after the touchdown, but an illegal formation penalty on the Panthers allowed the offense to attempt a two-point conversion from the 1-yard line. DiNucci looked in TE Tre' McKitty's direction and he hauled in the catch after it was nearly deflected.

That's my boy!!! #ForeverGrateful @NFL https://t.co/Zc2FyylBrZ
— Frank Gore (@frankgore) August 24, 2024

3. Ground and Pound

QB Anthony Brown took over for DiNucci in the second half.

After an initial three-and-out to start the second half, the offense picked back up where they left off against the Steelers, letting the run game do the heavy lifting.

The Bills offense started at the 40-yard line due to the kickoff sailing out of bounds after the Panthers scored a touchdown. Gore Jr. proceeded to receive six carries, including the five-yard touchdown on the ground. Brown also added in a 13-yard scramble that brought the Bills into the red zone.

After the touchdown, the Bills completed their second two-point conversion of the afternoon. Brown found WR Xavier Johnson in the back of the endzone to bring the score to 25-19.

Gore Jr. continued to hammer away on the ground, ending the day with 101-yards.

The Bills rushed for 164 yards as a team.

Ed Oliver and the starters had the day off. Buffalo Bills vs Carolina Panthers, Preseason, August 24, 2024 at Highmark Stadium.

4. Offense stalls, finds life late

While the offense seemed to have momentum after their touchdown drive in the third quarter, a holding call late in the ensuing drive put an end to that.

Brown started to get into a rhythm passing the ball, throwing three straight completions. Then the flag and a sack forced the offense into a third-and-21 situation.

After the completion to WR Justin Shorter for 10 yards, Bass trotted out for a 51-yard field goal that missed wide right.

On the Panthers next drive, they seemed to be moving down the field until EDGE Rondell Bothroyd took down Plummer, forcing a long fourth down and eventual turnover-on-downs.

Brown and the offense took over from their 33-yard line. He dissected the defense with two completions for 13+ yards to Johnson and WR Damiere Byrd. WR K.J. Hamler got involved in the run game, taking a carry for 18-yards to the Panthers' three-yard line. Following the two-minute warning, Hamler punched it in, up the middle bringing the score to 31-26.

The Bills will open the regular season at home against the Cardinals on Sunday, Sept. 8 at 1:00 p.m. EDT.

Key Stats and Facts:

Saturday marked the 9^th time that the Bills and Panthers have played each other in the preseason and the first since Aug. 9, 2018, where the Bills lost 28-23.
Frank Gore Jr. scored his first NFL preseason touchdown and had his first 100-yard game. His father, Frank Gore Sr. played for the Bills during the 2019 season.
The Bills have an 8-4 record in the preseason against NFC teams under head coach Sean McDermott dating back to 2018.