Bills Dominate Panthers
October 27, 2025
Coming off a much-needed bye week, the Buffalo Bills rolled into Carolina hoping to snap a two-game losing streak and reassert themselves as an AFC contender. The Panthers, meanwhile, looked to extend their surprising momentum, albeit without injured starter Bryce Young, in front of their home crowd. As kickoff approached, key storylines included Buffalo’s health and adjustments after recent struggles, and Carolina’s reliance on backup quarterback Andy Dalton to keep their three-game win streak alive.
The Bills utterly dominated from the opening whistle, delivering a 40–9 thumping of Carolina that left little doubt as to which team controlled the day. The game’s narrative was written on the ground, James Cook piled up a career day, racking up 216 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just 19 carries, including a 64-yard burst.
Buffalo’s passing game complemented that ground attack. Josh Allen completed 12 of 19 passes for 163 yards and added two rushing touchdown runs from one yard out. His most explosive connection came via a 54-yard touchdown strike to Khalil Shakir, who finished with six catches for 88 yards.
On defense, the Bills forced turnovers and piled pressure. They sacked Dalton seven times and forced three turnovers, converting those into points that widened the margin early. One pivotal play came when A.J. Epenesa intercepted Dalton, swinging momentum further Buffalo’s way. Carolina’s offense never found traction. Dalton threw for 175 yards, but lost two fumbles and tossed an interception. The Panthers managed only a late Chuba Hubbard 3-yard touchdown run to avoid a shutout.
Injuries and roster changes also had an impact. For Buffalo, rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston made his NFL debut after coming off injured reserve. However, Ed Oliver exited during the game with a biceps injury, raising concerns about his availability going forward. On Carolina’s side, starting quarterback Bryce Young sat out with an ankle injury, thrusting Dalton into the spotlight.
The game wasn’t without some postgame heat: a scuffle broke out during the handshake line, involving Bills’ left tackle Dion Dawkins and Panthers’ defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson, reportedly sparked by trash talk about the final score. This victory snapped Buffalo’s two-game slide and maintained their perfect 9–0 record in games following a bye since 2017. Meanwhile, it halted a three-game win streak for Carolina and evened their record at 4–4.
Chris, Guest Author
The Goal Line Grind 