The Titans messed around for much of the second half, but the Panthers were the only ones who found out.
Tennessee stayed undefeated this season at Nissan Stadium with a 17-10 victory, moving to 4-7 in 2023.
Though Tennessee ran an effective two-minute drill to pick up a field goal just before halftime, the club struggled to get anything going offensively in the second half. Even after mustering a couple of first downs on a seven-play drive in the fourth quarter, the team had to punt it back to give the Panthers a chance to tie or win the game with 2:57 on the clock.
But Carolina didn’t make Tennessee pay. A short Bryce Young pass went for 3-yards to open the possession. Then Young was sacked for an 8-yard loss before a pass to Chuba Hubbard made it fourth-and-6.
Young’s fourth-down pass was a screen to DJ Chark that the Titans easily snuffed out for no gain to effectively end the contest.
The Panthers finished with 258 yards and 19 first downs, but averaged just 3.9 yards per play. The team failed to score 20 points for the fifth straight game after the bye and the eighth time this season.
Young was 18-of-31 for 194 yards, also gaining 23 yards rushing. He lost a fumble in the first half when he was strip-sacked by Arden Key. Tennessee finished with four sacks and six QB hits along with nine tackles for loss.
On the other side, Tennessee had just 264 yards, 15 first downs, and was 2-of-11 on third down. Rookie Will Levis finished 18-of-28 for 185 yards with no touchdowns or picks.
Running back Derrick Henry had both of the Titans’ touchdowns, finishing the game with 76 yards on 18 carries. DeAndre Hopkins led with three catches for 49 yards.
Now with four wins, Tennessee will host division-rival Indianapolis next week.
The 1-10 Panthers remain on track to earn the No. 1 overall pick — which they’ll send to the Bears. Carolina will be on the road to take on Tampa Bay in Week 13.