Panthers Set Absurd First-Half Rushing Record Amid Playoff Hopes

The Lions came into Week 16 on a three-game win streak, and everyone wanted to get on the Detroit bandwagon. The Panthers had other plans.

Interim head coach Steve Wilks wanted Carolina to be a run-first did, and they established it Saturday. The Panthers ran for 240 yards in the first half compared to the Lions’ 21 yards.

Running backs Chuba Hubbard and D’Onta Foreman ran for 109 and 104 yards, respectively. It’s the first time since Week 6 of the 2009 season that Carolina had two players to rush for over 100 yards, per William Bryan of Panthers digital media — the duo of Jonathan Stewart and D’Angelo Williams reached that feat.

If anyone was mulling over who to start in fantasy, the answer was both.

The rushing total set a franchise record, and Carolina’s 364 total yards also was a franchise record. The record for most rushing yards in a game was 423 set by the 1950 New York Giants, per Dov Kleiman.

The Panthers still have a shot at the playoffs despite a 5-9 record heading into Week 16. Carolina is one game back from the 6-8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who play the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. A loss for the Lions would set them back as they are one game behind the 7-6-1 Washington Commanders for the final wild-card spot.

Carolina was up 24-7 over Detroit at halftime.