Haynes King pulled off an absolute stunner, punching in a rushing touchdown on the game’s final play to secure a last-second victory for the Carolina Panthers against the Arizona Cardinals in Canton. Seriously, this was one for the ages, a preseason game that felt anything but exhibition with that kind of finish.
Early Jitters and Glimmers of Promise
The Panthers got the ball first, and honestly, the start was exactly what you expect from the Hall of Fame Game, a little sluggish. Kenny Pickett dropped two short passes to Ja’Tavion Sanders, who actually showed some grit and was tough to bring down. But then, a sack killed the drive, and the Panthers punted. The Cardinals weren’t much better at first. Carson Beck scrambled for a first down, but their drive sputtered out too, ending with a punt that pinned the Panthers deep, inside their own two-yard line. Talk about a brutal spot!
But hey, sometimes you get a break: a pass interference call on a Brycen Tremayne go ball bailed them out. That was pretty much it for useful plays on that drive, though. Sam Martin came out, matched his counterpart with his own punt downed near the goal line, and the Cardinals got out of trouble with a long completion to escape their own shadow. That play really lit a fire, building momentum the Panthers couldn’t stop. Beck started dealing, hitting some great passes downfield and getting Arizona all the way to the one-yard line as the first quarter wrapped up.
A Second Quarter Offensive Explosion Ignites the Stadium
The second quarter kicked off with a bang. Corey Kiner immediately punched in the touchdown for the Cardinals. But the Panthers weren’t gonna roll over. They found their offensive rhythm on the very next drive. Trevor Etienne had a couple of sweet runs, and John Metchie ripped off a long catch and run. Not to be outdone, AJ Dillon had his own strong catch and run, then capped it with a touchdown run to answer right back.
Carson Beck, man, he just kept going off. He dropped a absolute bomb to Jalen Brooks, getting deep into Carolina territory in one play, then connected on a fade route to Simi Fehoko for another Cardinals touchdown, putting them up 14-7. That’s when Haynes King checked in, and he went toe to toe with Beck. King led the Panthers downfield, hitting a bunch of chunk completions and showing off a nice scramble. He looked so composed, just running through his progressions, and paid it off with a touchdown pass on a crossing route to Ja’seem Reed. What a response!
The Cardinals had a long but kind of uneventful drive next. Sales Wheatley punched the ball out at one point, but the Panthers couldn’t fall on it. Eventually, Jared Harrison-Hunte ended that drive with a big sack, forcing a field goal just inside the two-minute warning. But King wasn’t done! He put together a super impressive two-minute drill, hitting a bunch of sideline passes, and Jimmy Horn made a nice catch and run. King even had Horn open in the end zone but just missed him. Still, the Panthers settled for a field goal, tying the game at 17 going into what became an insane finish.
That kind of comeback, that last-second heroics from King, it just sets the tone, you know? It shows you the grit in this squad. While we don’t have details on their next matchup, you can bet everyone’s going to be buzzing about King and what he brings to the table after a finish like that. That kind of play just gets you fired up for what’s ahead!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Cat Scratch Reader.
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