Here are five things to know about the Cowboys\u2019 upcoming opponent<\/a>, the Carolina Panthers:<\/p>\n Cowboys<\/p>\n By signing up, you agree to our\u00a0Terms of Service<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n Young faced uncertain times last season, and his inconsistency led to him being benched. But the 24-year-old quarterback\u2019s learning curve is starting to rise, and his teammates are beginning to buy into his leadership.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s definitely the kind of guy you want at the helm of a team,\u201d said Panthers tight end Mitchell Evans after their 27\u201324 win over the Dolphins.<\/p>\n Although he\u2019s shown flashes of brilliance, Young still has a lot to improve.<\/p>\n Young has thrown four interceptions, tied with Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars) and Justin Herbert (Chargers). Geno Smith (Raiders) leads the league with nine interceptions.<\/p>\n Young ranks 17th in the league in passing yards with 951, and his 5.5 yards per completion is among the lowest among starting quarterbacks.<\/p>\n He averages 190 passing yards per game, third-worst among QBs with five games played, and has thrown seven touchdowns (tied for 15th in the league).<\/p>\n \u201cBryce knows how to persevere,\u201d right tackle Taylor Moton said after the Dolphins game. \u201cHe\u2019s a tremendous leader, and I\u2019m just very happy he\u2019s in this locker room with me, and I get to work with him. He\u2019s the kind of guy that just leads us all in the right direction with that attacking mentality.\u201d<\/p>\n Defense under pressure<\/p>\n The Panthers\u2019 defense isn\u2019t one of the most respected in the league. Not yet, at least.<\/p>\n They rank 12th in the NFL in yards allowed per game (311) and have given up 11 touchdowns \u2014 tied with five other teams for 11th most in the league.<\/p>\n Linebacker Christian Rozeboom leads Carolina\u2019s defense with 37 total tackles, while five different players share the team\u2019s five total sacks.<\/p>\n One of the Panthers\u2019 strengths is defending third-down conversions, allowing just 4.2 per game, which ranks as the seventh-best mark in the league.<\/p>\n However, Carolina\u2019s defense is prone to giving up big plays, allowing 5.6 yards per play (22nd in the league).<\/p>\n Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero joined is in his second year in the role.<\/p>\n Head coach Dave Canales chose to retain Evero for the 2025 season, despite the team allowing a record number of points in 2024.<\/p>\n Evero\u2019s defense held only one of its 17 opponents under 100 rushing yards last season.<\/p>\n Canales defended his decision to keep Evero, calling it a work in progress.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s about developing the players we brought in. It\u2019s about evaluating our scheme, so we have to be able to look at our schemes and be really critical of all those things as well. It\u2019s about seeing who\u2019s out there to help us get this defense to the place that we know we can.\u201d<\/p>\n Rico\u2019s revenge<\/p>\n Rico Dowdle is savoring the chance for a revenge game against the Cowboys and is motivated to show Jerry Jones that letting him go wasn\u2019t a great idea.<\/p>\n Dowdle rushed for a career-high 206 yards to help the Carolina Panthers overcome a 17\u20130 deficit in their victory over the Dolphins.<\/p>\n He seized his chance to shine after Carolina\u2019s starting running back, Chuba Hubbard, was sidelined with a calf injury.<\/p>\n![\"Dallas](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/62K4ZAFU25HBDHEZOMG5MXG5ME.jpg\")
Young and learning<\/p>\n
![\"Carolina](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1759838118_566_XBRAEEQLOZE4FEMEUCX52AF3FI.jpg\")
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