Panthers post first opening-half shutout in five years in win over Falcons

Shane Connuck, The Charlotte Observer on Sep 21, 2025

Published in Football

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers kept their opponent at bay throughout the first half for the first time in five years.

An early touchdown rush from quarterback Bryce Young and a 57-yard field goal from Ryan Fitzgerald, the undrafted rookie kicker out of Florida State, gave the Panthers an early 10-0 lead on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons at Bank of America Stadium.

The first-half shutout is Carolina’s first since Nov. 22, 2020, when it ultimately posted a 20-0 victory against the Detroit Lions.

It’s been a decade since the Panthers have shut out Atlanta in the first half, not having done so since Dec. 13, 2015, in a 38-0 victory over their division rival. The Falcons were shut out in the opening half for the first time since an Oct. 1, 2023, loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to the FOX broadcast.

Panthers’ rookie kicker stays hot

Fitzgerald has nailed a pair of field goals as Carolina built a 20-point lead in the second half.

The 25-year-old Coolidge, Ga., native improved to 4 for 4 on field goals this season, also making successful kicks of 48 and 27 yards, respectively, in Carolina’s first two games. His career-long field goal in college with the Seminoles is 59 yards, marking the second-longest in school history.

A 35-yard field goal during the third quarter lifted the Panthers’ lead to 20-0.

Young dashed into the end zone from four yards out, with Fitzgerald adding the extra point, to put Carolina ahead during the opening period. A pair of missed field goals from Atlanta kicker Parker Romo keep the Falcons off the board.

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