Carolina Panthers vs Atlanta Falcons Match Player Stats (Jan 5, 2025)
Carolina Panthers vs Atlanta Falcons match player stats show exactly how Miles Sanders’ 1-yard touchdown run at the 3:14 mark of overtime capped one of the wildest games you’ll see. 44-38 final. January 5, 2025. Mercedes-Benz Stadium. 71,000 fans watching their season end in heartbreak.
Table of Contents
Start With the End
Sanders barely crossed the goal line. Three Falcons defenders met him at the 1, but he followed his fullback through the A-gap and stretched just enough. Game over. Atlanta never touched the ball in OT.
That touchdown came after 10 plays and 70 yards of methodical execution. Bryce Young hit Tommy Tremble for 18 on third-and-6. Sanders ripped off runs of 7 and 11. Jalen Coker made two catches to move the chains. Perfect drive when it mattered most.
But let’s back up. How did we get here?
The Setup Nobody Talks About
Here’s the kicker – Atlanta found out during this game that Tampa Bay beat New Orleans. Their playoff hopes? Dead. Right there in their own building, learning they’re eliminated while trying to tie it 38-38. Still played their hearts out.
The Falcons would finish 8-9. Carolina 5-12. Records that tell you nothing about what happened on this field.
The Quarterback Who Did Everything
Bryce Young went 25-for-34 for 251 yards and 3 passing touchdowns without throwing a pick. Add 5 carries for 24 yards and 2 rushing touchdowns. That’s five total TDs. Passer rating: 123.5.
Not one sack. The offensive line kept him clean all day.
| Bryce Young’s Complete Performance | |
|---|---|
| Passing | 25/34, 251 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs |
| Passer Rating | 123.5 |
| Rushing | 5 carries, 24 yards, 2 TDs |
| Sacks Taken | 0 |
| Total TDs | 5 |
His touchdown passes:
- 33 yards to Miles Sanders in Q2
- 12 yards to Tommy Tremble in Q3
- 9 yards to David Moore in Q3
His rushing scores came from 2 and 10 yards out. Different skills on each one. The first? Pure escape artist stuff. The second? Patience, vision, following blocks.
Oh, and Jalen Coker threw a pass too. Trick play went 1-for-1 for 19 yards. Passer rating: 118.7. Not bad for a receiver.
Meanwhile, Penix Shows His Future
Michael Penix Jr. – making one of his late-season starts after Atlanta decided to see what they had – finished 21-of-38 for 312 yards, 2 passing TDs, and 1 interception. Add a 5-yard rushing touchdown. Passer rating: 88.9. Got sacked once for 2 yards.
The pick hurt. Third quarter, driving in Carolina territory, tried to force one to Drake London in double coverage. Mike Jackson read it perfectly. Only turnover of the game.
But that fourth-quarter drive to tie it? 11 plays, 70 yards, ending with Bijan Robinson’s 4-yard TD run with 46 seconds left. Clutch.
Net passing yards tell the real story: Carolina 270, Atlanta 310. Those 2 sack yards matter.
Robinson vs The World
Speaking of Bijan, the man was unstoppable. 28 carries. 170 yards. 6.1 per carry. 2 touchdowns. His 20-yard burst in Q3 was vintage Robinson – broke two tackles at the line, spun away from a linebacker, dragged defenders.
Ground Game Comparison
| Team | Player | Carries | Yards | YPC | TDs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATL | Bijan Robinson | 28 | 170 | 6.1 | 2 | Workhorse |
| ATL | Tyler Allgeier | 9 | 52 | 5.8 | 0 | Solid relief |
| ATL | Michael Penix Jr. | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 1 | QB sneak |
| CAR | Miles Sanders | 17 | 66 | 3.9 | 1 | Fresh off IR |
| CAR | Raheem Blackshear | 4 | 47 | 11.8 | 0 | 26-yd burst |
| CAR | Bryce Young | 5 | 24 | 4.8 | 2 | Dual threat |
| CAR | Mike Boone | 4 | 18 | 4.5 | 0 | Short yardage |
Total rushing: Atlanta 227, Carolina 155. Didn’t matter.
Sanders being fresh off injured reserve makes his performance even more impressive. First game back and he scores the game-winner.
London’s Career Day While Pitts Disappears
Drake London caught 10 of 18 targets for 187 yards and 2 touchdowns. Career high in yards. Penix looked his way constantly.
Kyle Pitts? 2 catches. 15 yards. 3 targets.
Three targets. For Kyle Pitts. In a must-win game. Make it make sense.
Complete Receiving Breakdown
| Complete Receiving Statistics | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Targets | Receptions | Yards | Avg | TDs |
| Carolina Panthers | |||||
| Jalen Coker | 7 | 7 | 62 | 8.9 | 0 |
| Adam Thielen | 6 | 5 | 44 | 8.8 | 0 |
| Ja’Tavion Sanders | 5 | 3 | 35 | 11.7 | 0 |
| Xavier Legette | 5 | 3 | 30 | 10.0 | 0 |
| Miles Sanders | 4 | 3 | 50 | 16.7 | 1 |
| Tommy Tremble | 3 | 2 | 30 | 15.0 | 1 |
| David Moore | 3 | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 1 |
| Feleipe Franks | 1 | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 0 |
| Mike Boone | 1 | 1 | -2 | -2.0 | 0 |
| Atlanta Falcons | |||||
| Drake London | 18 | 10 | 187 | 18.7 | 2 |
| Ray-Ray McCloud | 7 | 4 | 66 | 16.5 | 0 |
| Bijan Robinson | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1.5 | 0 |
| Kyle Pitts | 3 | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 0 |
| Tyler Allgeier | 2 | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 0 |
| KhaDarel Hodge | 2 | 1 | 24 | 24.0 | 0 |
Eight different Panthers caught passes. Six for Atlanta.
What Defense?
Jadeveon Clowney got Carolina’s only sack, also adding a solo tackle. Mike Jackson got the game’s only interception and made a key tackle late in the fourth. That’s it for splash plays.
Atlanta? Zero sacks on Young. None. Not one.
In overtime, Kaden Elliss was everywhere – three solo tackles and helped on a tackle for loss. Jessie Bates III added multiple solo stops. Lorenzo Carter contributed a solo tackle and assisted on that TFL. Didn’t matter. Young carved them up when it counted.
The Kicking Game Was Perfect. The Punting Game Was Weird.
Eddy Piñeiro: 1-for-1 on field goals (35 yards), 5-for-5 on PATs. Riley Patterson: 1-for-1 on field goals (31 yards), 5-for-5 on PATs.
No misses in a game decided by 6.
Here’s the crazy part: Atlanta never punted. Not once. Every drive ended with points or a turnover. Johnny Hekker punted 3 times for Carolina, averaging 51.7 yards. That included a 57-yard bomb late in the fourth quarter that flipped field position. Avery Williams had a 9-yard punt return called back for holding.
Let’s Talk Scoring
Quarter-by-Quarter Breakdown
| Quarter | Time | Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 11:08 | ATL | Patterson 31-yd FG | 3-0 ATL |
| Q1 | 7:03 | CAR | Piñeiro 35-yd FG | 3-3 |
| Q2 | 10:47 | CAR | Young 2-yd rush | 10-3 CAR |
| Q2 | 5:27 | ATL | Penix 5-yd rush | 10-10 |
| Q2 | 2:48 | CAR | Sanders 33-yd rec | 17-10 CAR |
| Q2 | 1:34 | ATL | Robinson 3-yd rush | 17-17 |
| Q2 | 0:03 | ATL | London 20-yd rec | 24-17 ATL |
| Q3 | 10:43 | CAR | Tremble 12-yd rec | 24-24 |
| Q3 | 1:02 | CAR | Moore 9-yd rec | 31-24 CAR |
| Q4 | 9:50 | ATL | London 21-yd rec | 31-31 |
| Q4 | 4:01 | CAR | Young 10-yd rush | 38-31 CAR |
| Q4 | 0:46 | ATL | Robinson 4-yd rush | 38-38 |
| OT | 3:14 | CAR | Sanders 1-yd rush | 44-38 CAR |
Atlanta scored 14 points in the final 1:34 of the first half. That’s how you steal momentum.
The Numbers That Mattered
Atlanta outgained Carolina 537-425. Ran 77 plays to Carolina’s 65. Averaged 7.0 yards per play vs 6.5. Had 31 first downs to 25. Won third downs 9-of-14 to 7-of-12.
So what?
The Real Difference Makers
| Stat | Panthers | Falcons |
|---|---|---|
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| Red Zone TDs | 5/6 (83%) | 4/5 (80%) |
| Penalties | 2 for 30 | 7 for 55 |
| Sacks Allowed | 0 | 1 |
| 4th Down | 1/1 | 2/3 |
| Net Pass Yards | 270 | 310 |
First downs breakdown: Atlanta had 20 rushing and 11 passing. Carolina had 9 rushing and 16 passing. Time of possession: Carolina 34:05, Atlanta 32:41.
Complete Game Statistics
| Statistic | Panthers | Falcons |
|---|---|---|
| Total Offense | ||
| Total Yards | 425 | 537 |
| Total Plays | 65 | 77 |
| Yards Per Play | 6.5 | 7.0 |
| Time of Possession | 34:05 | 32:41 |
| Passing Game | ||
| Net Passing Yards | 270 | 310 |
| Sacks Allowed | 0 | 1 |
| Rushing Game | ||
| Rushing Yards | 155 | 227 |
| First Downs | ||
| Total First Downs | 25 | 31 |
| Passing First Downs | 16 | 11 |
| Rushing First Downs | 9 | 20 |
| Key Situations | ||
| 3rd Down Efficiency | 7/12 (58.3%) | 9/14 (64.3%) |
| 4th Down Efficiency | 1/1 (100%) | 2/3 (66.7%) |
| Red Zone Efficiency | 5/6 (83.3%) | 4/5 (80.0%) |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| Penalties | 2 for 30 | 7 for 55 |
What They Said After
Raheem Morris on his defense: “We took a huge step back. We were not good enough across the board defensively.”
Dave Canales on Young: “Bryce is our quarterback.”
That second quote? Season-defining. After watching Young account for 5 touchdowns with zero turnovers, Canales made it clear – the quarterback debate in Carolina is over.
History Made
According to Pro Football Reference, this was the highest-scoring game between these teams since 2016. Young became the youngest Panthers QB with 5 TDs in a game. London hit a career high. Atlanta never punting? First time in franchise history.
This fits Atlanta’s season pattern. They’ve allowed 30+ points in five of their last seven games. Check their recent defensive performances – it’s ugly.
Young’s explosion gives Carolina hope. Look at their previous games and this stands out. NFL.com thinks Atlanta needs a defensive overhaul.
Quick Answers
Young’s 5 TDs? Passing: Sanders 33, Tremble 12, Moore 9. Rushing: 2 and 10 yards.
Robinson’s final line? 28-170-2 rushing, 2-3-0 receiving. Beast mode.
Pitts really only had 15 yards? Yep. 2 catches, 3 targets. Bizarre.
Who else went over 100? London with 187 receiving.
Total offense? Atlanta 537, Carolina 425. Football’s weird sometimes.
How many guys caught passes? Eight for Carolina, six for Atlanta.
What about Sanders’ return? First game back from injured reserve. Scores game-winner. Hollywood script.
Bottom Line on These Stats
Carolina Panthers vs Atlanta Falcons match player stats prove yards don’t equal wins. Atlanta gained more, ran more plays, never punted. Found out mid-game their season was essentially over. Still fought to the end. Carolina protected the ball, scored in the red zone, made one big defensive play. Young played the game of his life. Sanders – fresh off IR – scored when it counted. Every yard, every catch, every tackle led to that 1-yard plunge in overtime. 44-38 Panthers.
