— The performance of the defense will get lost in this, but it shouldn’t. They got consistent pressure on C.J. Stroud and kept the Texans from running consistently.
Houston managed 110 on the ground, not great, but the Panthers were 31st in the league in run defense entering the week, allowing 144.3 yards per game in the first six.
The Panthers also batted down three passes at the line of scrimmage against the much taller Stroud and held him to 140 passing yards, and were generally able to keep the Texans in check.
— The Panthers weren’t aggressive in the run game themselves, with just 24 attempts all day. But it seems clear at this point who’s going to get more of them.
Hubbard got the start and had 15 carries for 28 yards, with Miles Sanders (two attempts) and Raheem Blackshear (three) getting the rest of the work.
Hubbard’s more of the downhill power runner among the lot of them, which he showed late.
— The injuries continued to stack up on defense, as outside linebacker Justin Houston left the game with a hamstring issue. He did not return.
The Panthers were already thin at the position, with Yetur Gross-Matos placed on injured reserve this week and new pickup Luiji Vilain inactive.
That left Brian Burns, DJ Johnson, and Amaré Barno to finish the game.
— NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was in attendance Sunday, visiting Bank of America Stadium for the first time since the 2015 NFC Championship Game.