Quarterback Cam Newton provided the key points and the Carolina Panthers defense silenced the Dallas Cowboys’ offensive, which they won by 16-8 in their first game for both teams in the new season of the Cowboys. National Football League (NFL).
Newton rushed for 58 yards and a touchdown, and the defense delivered a dominant performance for the Panthers to be the best team on the field.
Defensive Luke Kuechly added 13 tackles, Kawann Short captured quarterback Dak Prescott twice and Mario Addison forced a huge fumble of the Cowboys quarterback with 1:23 to play to seal the victory.
Carolina’s defense netted six sacks in total and limited the Cowboys to 232 yards.
The Dallas team, looking for answers on offense after wide receiver Dez Bryant and tight end Jason Witten, could not do much against a dominant unit in the first half.
The Panthers limited the Cowboys to 60 yards and four first attempts to take a 10-0 lead at the end of the first half.
Prescott finished with just 170 yards passing and runner Ezekiel Elliott was limited to 69 rushing yards and a touchdown. The leading receiver for Dallas was Cole Beasley, who had seven catches for 73 yards.
The Panthers seemed to be in complete control when fullback Alex Armah scored on a 1-yard run early in the fourth quarter to put things at 16-0.
But Carolina missed the extra point, keeping a difference of two possessions and delivering the moment to the Cowboys.
Elliott scored on a 4-yard road trip in the next series and Prescott added the 2-point conversion to cut the deficit in half.
But the final series of Dallas ended when Addison – who had 11 catches last season – snatched the ball from Prescott’s hands and Captain Munnerlyn recovered it.
