Carolina Panthers vs. Miami Dolphins: Panthers can’t keep up with NFL’s No. 1 offense

For a few moments Sunday, the Carolina Panthers gave fans a glimpse of what they could be.

Bryce Young was making confident throws. A newfound run game, featuring backup Chuba Hubbard, was gashing the Dolphins, and the much-maligned Panthers defense was getting stops.

Carolina took a two-touchdown lead, its biggest of the season. And then, reality set in.

Whether the Dolphins were caught a little flat — playing the NFL’s only winless team, with a potential Super Bowl preview a week away against Philadelphia — or whether the Dolphins were surprised by the Panthers’ fight, Miami woke up quick.

Tua Tagovailoa threw three first-half touchdown passes and the Dolphins ultimately scored 35 unanswered points, showing why they have the NFL’s top offense en route to a 42-21 victory at Hard Rock Stadium.

Miami improved to 5-1. Carolina will head into its bye week at 0-6. The Panthers worst start ever was in 1998, when they started 0-7 and ultimated finished 4-12.

STAT STUFFERS

Bryce Young, Panthers: rookie QB was 23-of-38 for 217 yards and a score. He didn’t throw an interception, though he was pressured heavily and sacked four times. He also earned some praise from CBS studio analyst and former Super Bowl winning head coach Bill Cowher.

“Bryce Young is getting better,” Cowher said at halftime. “You can see that.”

Chuba Hubbard, Panthers: ran 19 times for 88 yards and a score. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry and had the best game all season for a Panthers running back filling in for injured starter Miles Sanders.

Adam Thielen, Panthers: 11 catches for 115 yards and a score.

Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins: Miami QB was 21-of-31 for 262 yards and three touchdowns.

Raheem Mostert, Dolphins: Miami RB ran 17 tiimes for 115 yards and two touchdowns. He caught three passes for 17 yards and a touchdown.

Tyreek Hill, Dolphins: though he briefly left the game with cramps, he had six catches for 163 yards and a touchdown, punctuated with a backflip while watching himself in an iPhone he borrowed in the end zone (see below).

NFL scoreboard

PHOTOS: Panthers at Dolphins

Fourth-quarter updates

DOLPHINS 42, PANTHERS 21: Miami pads lead late

3:56 p.m.: Miami’s Salvon Ahmed scored on a 9-yard run, with a great run over the right side where he broke several tackles.

3:53 p.m.: Dolphins running back Chris Brooks was hurt with 2:43 to play, running inside the Panthers’ 20. Players from both team fell on his right leg at the end of the run.

DOLPHINS 35, PANTHERS 21: Pick 6 from Troy Hill gets Panthers closer

3:48 p.m.: Carolina’s Troy Hill intercepted Mike White and returned it 61 yards for a score. It was Hill’s ninth career interception. Carolina tried an onside kick after the score that failed.

3:44 p.m.: Mike White is in for Tua Tagovailoa at QB for the Dolphins. Tagovailoa finished 21-of-31 for 262 yards and three touchdowns.

3:40 p.m.: a fifth sack of Bryce Young by the Dolphins on third down was negated by a holding in the secondary. Carolina got a first down at the 24. The drive ended a few plays later with an incomplete pass on fourth and 10 at the Panthers 40.

3:35 p.m.: Panthers defender Frankie Luvu (hip) is questionable to return.

3:30 p.m.: The Dolphins get their fourth sack of Bryce Young to end the Panthers’ drive.

DOLPHINS 35, PANTHERS 14: Dolphins score fifth straight touchdown

3:24 p.m.: Raheem Mostert jumped over Panthers defensive back Sam Franklin to get to the Panthers 3. A pass interference on Carolina’s Jeremy Chinn, trying to guard Jaylen Waddell, put the ball at the 1. Two plays later, on third and goal, Mostert ran in from the 1. It was his third score of the day.

3:20 p.m.: Panthers defensive lineman Yetur Gross-Matos limped off, grabbing the back of his right leg as the Dolphins were driving.

Third-quarter updates

3:11 p.m.: Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu went down with an injury, and a few plays later, Panthers defensive back Sam Franklin walked off after colliding with Dolphins receiver Jaylen Waddle.

3:07 p.m.: The Panthers went for its on fourth and 2 at the Dolphins 24. Bryce Young was pressured and overthrew tight end Hayden Hurst.

3:06 p.m.: TV reports confirmed that Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill was treated for cramps and could return. Hill actually came back on the Panthers’ next possession and caught another long pass.

DOLPHINS 28, PANTHERS 14: Raheem Mostert ran up in the middle for a short scoring run, shortly after a big catch from Tyreek Hill got the Dolphins into plus territory. Miami has scored 28 unanswered points.

TYREEK HILL CRAMPING?

2:55 p.m.: Tua Tagovailoa hit Tyreek Hill with a big pass over the middle and Hill was running down the right sideline when he suddenly slowed down and ran out of bounds. The Dolphins quickly got in red zone after that and got in position for points. At the time he left, Hill had four catches for 126 yards and a touchdown.

2:42 p.m.: The Dolphins will receive to open the second half. They went 3-and-out. The Panthers announced Laviska Shenault won’t return due to what is now being reported as a high ankle sprain.

Second-quarter updates

DOLPHINS 21, PANTHERS 14: Panthers miss chance for points

2:28 p.m.: On third-and-2, the Panthers tried pass to DJ Chark that was short and with the clock ticking down, Carolina sent in kicker Eddy Piñeiro, who was trying to make his 25th straight field goal inside 50 yards. The Miami native, however, missed his second field goal of the season at the first-half buzzer.

DOLPHINS 21, PANTHERS 14: Beep, beep. Tyreek Hill’s 41-yard catch give Miami lead

2:19 p.m.: On third-and-6, Tua Tagovailoa threw his third touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill who beat Panthers defensive back Donte Jackson down the right sideline. The play covered 41 yards and gave the Dolphins the lead. Hill did a back flip, while holding a phone he borrowed from someone on the field in the end zone, after his score. He was penalized for using a prop. Miami has now scored 21 unanswered points after being down 14-0.

PANTHERS RECEIVER LAVISKA SHENAULT INJURED

2:05 p.m.: Panthers receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. was injured on Carolina’s possession after the Dolphins score. Shenault sustained an injury to what was originally reported as a fibula and later as an ankle injury. He left the field on a cart with his head hanging and will not return, it was announced early in the third quarter.

DOLPHINS 14, PANTHERS 14: Failed fake punt leads to Dolphins score

2:02 p.m.: Tua Tagovailoa threw a four-yard pass to Jaylen Waddle to tie the game for the Dolphins following a failed fake punt attempt by the Panthers. The TD was set up by a 48-yard run by Raheem Mostert.

1:53 p.m.: The Panthers tried a fake punt near midfield and punter Johnny Hekker threw a pass to Laviska Shenault Jr., who stepped out of bounds trying to extend the ball for a first down while being tackled by Miami’s Elijah Campbell. The failed gamble gave the Dolphins the ball near midfield, at their 43. On the next play, Raheem Mostert ran left for a huge gain. He broke a few tackles and ran 49 yards to the Panthers 8.

PANTHERS 14, DOLPHINS 7: Dolphins respond with quick scoring drive

1:44 p.m.: Led by a huge block from Dolphins tight end, Raheem Mostert caught a 3-yard pass from Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa to trim Carolina’s lead to 14-7. The Dolphins drove 75 yards on nine plays, taking just under four minutes.

1:38 p.m.: Carolina defensive lineman Nick Thurman laid on the field after making a tackle with 14:34 left in the quarter. He appeared to have been fallen on by a Dolphins’ player. We’ll report if we get an update.

First-quarter updates

PANTHERS 14, DOLPHINS 0: Run game, Bryce Young pass gives Carolina larger lead

1:36 p.m.: Inside Hard Rock Stadium, the fans appear stunned at the first-quarter break.

1:32 p.m.: After taking a 7-0 lead, following a pair of three-and-out stops of the league’s best offense, Carolina drove down the field, led by its run game and a memorable catch and leap by tight end Tommy Tremble. On second-and-goal at the 8, Bryce Young hit Adam Thielen for a two-score lead. It’s the largest lead the Panthers have had all season long.

TOMMY TREMBLE’S HURDLE PLAY

1:23 p.m.: After the Panthers got the ball back up 7-0, Bryce Young hit Tommy Tremble on the right side. Tremble made a memorable play, leaping over hurdler over Miami’s Xavien Howard for a first down.

PANTHERS 7, DOLPHINS 0: Panthers find a run game, find end zone

1:16 p.m.: Both teams went three-and-out the first time they had the ball. On the Panthers’ second possession, Bryce Young hit Thielen on a crossing route for a 27-yard gain as Carolina got inside the Dolphins’ 40. Later in the drive, Young hit Thielen with a quick out on third-and-6 to get to the Dolphins’ 27. That was followed by a 23-yard run, behind tackle Ickey Ekwonu, from Chuba Hubbard. On the next play Hubbard ran up the middle for a 6-yard score.

1:05 p.m.: Kendall Lamm, in his eighth season in the league, started for the Dolphins. Lamm played at Butler High School near Charlotte and at App State

Panthers-Dolphins inactives for Week 6

The Panthers will be without a handful of notable names Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.

Luckily for the defense, pass rusher Brian Burns (ankle) and defensive tackle Derrick Brown (ankle/knee) won’t be part of that inactive list. Both former first-round round picks were listed as “questionable” Friday heading into the matchup. However, both are expected to play against Miami with their names absent from the list.

The team ruled out safeties Xavier Woods (hamstring) and Vonn Bell (quad), running back Miles Sanders (shoulder), tight end Giovanni Ricci (shoulder) and guard Chandler Zavala (neck) entering the weekend. Guard Austin Corbett (knee) was also kept on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list despite practicing throughout the week.

The Panthers placed tight end Ian Thomas (calf) on injured reserve Saturday after he was a late addition to the injury report on Friday. In turn, the team activated fellow tight end Stephen Sullivan (hip) off injured reserve to take his place.

With Woods and Bell sidelined, the Panthers elevated Charlotte native Matthias Farley from the practice squad to start opposite Sam Franklin at safety. Chuba Hubbard will replace Sanders as the starting running back with Raheem Blackshear — active for the first time since Week 1 — and wideout Laviska Shenault providing support in the backfield.

The team also promoted veteran Justin McCray from the practice squad to provide depth along the offensive line with Zavala out and Corbett still shelved. Cade Mays is expected to replace Zavala at left guard against Miami.

Here are full inactive lists for both teams:

CAROLINA

▪ RB Miles Sanders (shoulder)

▪ S Xavier Woods (hamstring)

▪ S Vonn Bell (quad)

▪ TE Giovanni Ricci (shoulder)

▪ G Chandler Zavala (neck)

▪ OT David Sharpe

MIAMI

▪ C Connor Williams (groin)

▪ WR Chase Claypool

▪ QB Skylar Thompson (emergency QB)

▪ CB Kelvin Joseph

▪ TE Tyler Kroft

▪ DT Brandon Pili

Charlotte Observer predictions for Panthers-Dolphins game

Keeping accountable, Scott Fowler leads the Observer newsroom at 5-0 in his predictions. Alex Zietlow and Mike Kaye are each 3-2 and Langston Wertz Jr. is 2-3.

Scott Fowler: Dolphins 43, Panthers 23. The Dolphins have the sort of offense NFL fans dream about. The Panthers have the sort of team NFL fans have nightmares about. Carolina keeps it close for a while, but I foresee a 20-point loss.

Mike Kaye: Dolphins 38, Panthers 20. The Panthers have struggled mightily against the run through the first five weeks of the season. On Sunday, they’ll struggle from every direction, as the Dolphins will carve up the banged-up unit on defense. This one could get out of hand in a hurry.

Langston Wertz Jr.: Dolphins 35, Panthers 17. The Dolphins lead the NFL in rushing yards (929), passing yards (1,681) and average 36.2 points per game. And if the Panthers can keep Miami under that average, that will be a mild surprise. If there’s any silver lining for Carolina, it’s that offensive guard Austin Corbett, who hasn’t played this season after sustaining an ACL tear nine months ago, could come back for the Panthers’ next game. Carolina has a bye next week before it hosts the Texans on Oct. 29.

Alex Zietlow: Dolphins 42, Panthers 38. This could very well be the blowout league experts expect, but I’ll zag and predict this is the day the Panthers’ (simplified) offense puts it all together and keeps it surprisingly close. Still, though, I think Carolina heads into its bye week winless. A pair of predictions beyond the game score that I’m willing to toss out there since my score guess is so bland: Receiver Terrace Marshall will see some extended playing time — after notching a surprising DNP a week ago — and running back Chuba Hubbard will run for over 100 yards.

What ESPN, CBS Sports, more experts are saying

CBS Sports: Pete Prisco of CBS predicts the Dolphins cover the wide point spread.

ESPN: ESPN’s weekly panel of selectors overwhelmingly supports the Dolphins on Sunday.

Bleacher Report: The media outlet’s NFL staff responsibly points out that key Dolphins running back De’Von Achane will be sidelined for at least the next four weeks after a knee injury saw him be placed on IR. Their next sentence? “However, they won’t need him to wipe out the winless Carolina Panthers.” BR’s taking Miami.