Carolina Panthers vs New York Giants Match Player Stats On Dec 20, 2015

The Sports Xchange
Dec 20, 2015

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Carolina preserved a perfect season thanks to Graham Gano's 43-yard field goal with five seconds remaining after blowing a huge third-quarter lead, beating the New York Giants 38-35 at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

The Panthers (14-0) wrapped up the top spot in the NFC playoffs and cinched homefield advantage but it was a struggle in the last 20 minutes of the game. The Panthers went up 35-7 when wide receiver Ted Ginn caught a 14-yard pass for quarterback Cam Newton's fifth TD toss of the day when the Giants went on a roll to respond to 28 unanswered points from Carolina.

Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was flagged for three personal fouls in the game and tested the patience of officials with repeated on-field tantrums. He was never tossed, and caught a 14-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 35-35, capping a two-minutes, 31-second drive.

The Giants blocked a Gano field goal try in the first quarter and narrowed the Panthers' lead to seven points on scores by tight end Will Tye, who scored on an 8-yard pass from Eli Manning; a 38-yard touchdown run by Jennings; and an 8-yard touchdown run by Shane Vereen, a score set up when defensive end Kerry Wynn hit and stripped Newton of the ball deep in Giants territory.

Beckham caught six passes for 76 yards.

With the win, the Panthers improve their franchise record-setting season record to 14-0. They will close out their 2015 regular-season campaign at Atlanta next week followed by a home date against Tampa Bay.

Ginn left the game with a rib injury in the third quarter and Newton was dinged briefly with a knee injury.

The Giants (6-8) remain mathematically alive for a playoff berth, but with Minnesota and Washington winning on Sunday, New York's playoff hopes are precariously hanging by a thread. They will visit the Vikings next week and close out the 2015 regular season against the Philadelphia Eagles.

NOTES: The Panthers' second quarter recovery and conversion of a Rashad Jennings fumble into a touchdown now gives them 124 points scored off opponents' turnovers. The Panthers currently lead the NFL in the turnover margin with a plus-19. … Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul recorded his first sack since returning from a fireworks accident that permanently damaged his right hand. Pierre-Paul's sack was a nine-yard, second quarter loss that set up a 2nd-and-19 with 5:46 left in the second quarter. ...The Panthers are now 18-3 in December games under head coach Ron Rivera, the best winning percentage of active head coaches since 2011, pending the outcome of the Seahawks' Sunday game against Cleveland (Seattle's Pete Carroll is also looking to improve to 18-3 in December games played since 2011).