NFL 2026
Week 4 · Friday, August 28, 2026 · Bank of America Stadium · 72,041 attended
Game Recap

Panthers Edge Texans 16-13 in Preseason Week 3

Carolina Panthers 16, Houston Texans 13 at Bank of America Stadium. Kyle Trask went 19 of 28 for 147 yards with 1 interception.

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Quarter Scoring

Team Q1Q2Q3Q4 Total
Texans
0337 13
Panthers
0637 16

Panthers Leaders

Passing Yards
Kyle Trask
19/28, 147 YDS, 1 INT
Rushing Yards
Anthony Tyus III
10 CAR, 41 YDS
Receiving Yards
Ja'seem Reed
2 REC, 37 YDS

Texans Leaders

Passing Yards
Brett Rypien
13/23, 101 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing Yards
Deuce Vaughn
12 CAR, 36 YDS
Receiving Yards
Josh Kelly
3 REC, 36 YDS
Tackles

Team Stats

Texans Stat Panthers
13 1st Downs 17
8 Passing 1st downs 11
3 Rushing 1st downs 4
2 1st downs from penalties 2
2-12 3rd down efficiency 6-17
2-2 4th down efficiency 1-2
58 Total Plays 69
173 Total Yards 288
3.0 Yards per Play 4.2
11 Total Drives 11
92 Passing 189
16/30 Comp/Att 24/36
2.7 Yards per pass 5.1
2 Interceptions thrown 1
4-27 Sacks-Yards Lost 1-6
81 Rushing 99
24 Rushing Attempts 32
3.4 Yards per rush 3.1
1-1 Red Zone (Made-Att) 1-4
3-19 Penalties 12-103
4 Turnovers 1
2 Fumbles lost 0
2 Interceptions thrown 1
0 Defensive / Special Teams TDs 0
26:28 Possession 33:32

Scoring Plays

7 scores
Q2 9:02
Ka'imi Fairbairn 38 Yd Field Goal
3–0
Q2 1:43
Ryan Fitzgerald 30 Yd Field Goal
3–3
Q2 0:15
Ryan Fitzgerald 37 Yd Field Goal
3–6
Q3 7:12
Ryan Fitzgerald 28 Yd Field Goal
3–9
Q3 1:18
Ka'imi Fairbairn 47 Yd Field Goal
6–9
Q4 8:41
Miles Davis 1 Yd Rush (Ryan Fitzgerald Kick)
6–16
Q4 3:25
Zay Jones 6 Yd pass from Brett Rypien (Ka'imi Fairbairn Kick)
13–16

Preseason Finale: Texans' Receiver Injuries Mount as Panthers Host

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The Houston Texans travel to Carolina on Friday, August 28. Houston is dealing with a serious blow at receiver, with Jayden Higgins out for the season with a torn ACL and Tank Dell still building back from his own knee injury. Carolina is managing Xavier Legette's foot injury and is likely to hold tight end Darren Waller out of the finale, while both starting offensive tackles, Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton, are expected to miss regular-season time.

Houston's receiver room takes a real hit

Losing Higgins for the season and still managing Dell's recovery leaves the Texans thinner at receiver than expected heading into the year.

Carolina's offensive line questions loom large

With both projected starting tackles dealing with issues that could extend into the season, the Panthers' front five is a real concern beyond this game.

Waller likely sits out the finale

Holding out the veteran tight end fits the standard preseason-finale caution most teams apply to notable veterans.

Pregame AI Prediction

Winner missed Confidence: Low

How the prediction did

Predicted 20-17 (Texans vs Panthers), final was 13-16. Carolina beat Houston 16-13 despite its own offensive line concerns, missing the model's projected winner in a close finish.

Texans
20
55% to win
VS
Panthers
17
45% to win
Texans 55% Panthers 45%

Carolina's offensive line issues are a real complication

With both starting tackles banged up, the Panthers' front five could struggle even against a Texans team without some receivers.

Houston's receiver losses are notable but don't affect this specific game much

Since backups are playing regardless, the season-long impact of losing Higgins matters less for this particular finale.

Preseason finale variance keeps this projection conservative

With both teams almost certainly resting their true starters, roster-bubble execution will decide the actual outcome.

This is a preseason exhibition finale. Carolina's offensive line concerns give Houston a modest edge, though confidence stays low given how little either team's presumed starters will play.

Venue

Bank of America Stadium
Charlotte, NC
Attendance: 72,041

Closing Line

HOU -1.5
O/U 37.5
via DraftKings

Officials

Sarah Thomas Down Judge
Brad Allen Referee
Chad Hill Side Judge
Anthony Flemming Field Judge
Walter Flowers Line Judge

Futures odds for these teams

Super Bowl futures, win totals & where to bet

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Panthers Injuries

Jonathon Brooks
RB · Soreness
Questionable
Brady Christensen
G · Not Specified
Injured Reserve
Chuba Hubbard
RB · Not Specified
Questionable
Bam Martin-Scott
LB · Not Specified
Injured Reserve
Taylor Moton
OT · Not Specified
Out

Texans Injuries

Tank Dell
WR · Surgery
Injured Reserve
Sam Hagen
G · Not Specified
Injured Reserve
Braden Smith
OT · Plantar Fasciitis
Injured Reserve
Brevin Jordan
TE · Not Specified
Questionable
Jadeveon Clowney
DE · Not Specified
Questionable