The Carolina Panthers continued their series of fourth quarter collapses Sunday, allowing E.J. Manuel to orchestrate a late drive and push the Buffalo Bills to a 24-23 victory.
Panthers vs. Bills 2013 results: E.J. Manuel leads comeback, Buffalo wins 24-23
The rookie quarterback took advantage of late mistakes by the Panthers to lead a comeback.
Rick Stewart
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Manuel put the Bills on his back with less than one minute in the game to lead a long drive. A costly Luke Kuechly penalty gave Buffalo a fresh set of downs, resulting in a two-yard pass to Stevie Johnson with just six seconds left on the clock. Manuel finished with 296 yards passing with one touchdown and an interception.
Cam Newton was frustrated as breakdowns in protection allowed the quarterback to be sacked multiple times. Mario Williams gave the Panthers' line headaches, as the All-Pro defensive end matched a team record with four sacks.
The new regime in Buffalo has now followed up last week’s narrow loss to New England with an exciting win at home. Maybe there’s some hope for this team going forward.
Injury report
The Panthers' secondary was decimated by injury. Cornerback Josh Thomas sustained a concussion in the first half and did not return. He was followed by strong safety Charles Godfrey, who went down with an ankle injury and missed the remainder of the game as well.
Fantasy studs and duds
Tight end Greg Olsen had a big day for the Panthers as he finished with 84 yards receiving and a touchdown.
Buffalo had a lot of offensive success. C.J. Spiller finished with 129 all-purpose yards, while Johnson amassed 111 receiving yards and the late touchdown.
Did they cover?
The Panthers were 3.5-point favorites, according to OddsShark. Their loss means they failed to cover.
What’s next?
Sept. 22: Carolina Panthers vs. New York Giants
Sept. 22: Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets
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