ATLANTA — When the Panthers were facing their first third down of the day against the Falcons on Sunday, the offense did what they are programmed to do…get the ball to Adam Thielen.

The veteran receiver can always be counted on to be in the right place, make the right move and put every ounce of energy into making the catch no matter the level of difficulty. So it was no surprise that on third-and-3, quarterback Bryce Young uncorked a deep pass to Thielen, which the receiver rewarded with a 25-yard catch made while falling backwards.

By game's end, a 44-38 overtime win at that, Young had thrown for 16 first downs—13 that moved the chains and three touchdowns which are counted. The man that counted for most of those though was not Adam Thielen, but Jalen Coker, including two on third down.

"I know, right," exclaimed Thielen with mock anger, to the thought Coker was taking his Third-and-Thielen title.

It took half a second for his true feelings to shine through as he bragged on his fellow undrafted receiver, this one still a rookie.

"He crushed the last part of the game, which is great to see," Thielen said. "When it matters most, and you come to life, that's how you earn opportunities in the future and it's fun to see."

Coker has done just that, coming to life and being a near-guarantee for Young in crucial situations as the receiver's rookie season has progressed. He finished Sunday with seven catches (on seven targets) for 62 yards. He also threw a 19 yard first down to Miles Sanders on a double-pass trick play.

"I always knew that I was going to have an impact in my rookie year, but I didn't think it would be as explosive as it has been," reflected Coker following the Sunday win.

"But I always kind of knew that as long as I continued to be myself and bought into what the coaches were saying and learn my playbook and all that stuff, I knew that my play was going to be able to shine through and I was going to make an impact on the team."

When did he know that?

"After my first catch in a game, I mean, I was like, you know, I can do this."

That first catch was in Week 5 against the Bears, a 31-yard catch-and-run that helped get the Panthers into field-goal range. Since then, he's done nothing but find ways to continue to make those plays. Coker finished the season with 32 receptions for 478 yards (third on the team behind Thielen and Xavier Legette) and two touchdowns.

As the Panthers head into the offseason and some rest, they'll also look to next season. Coker's focus is continuing to make his way into this offense and league…and maybe earn his own third-down nickname. Maybe third-and-Coke?

"That's fine. We can do that. That's OK for me," laughed Coker.

That means he'll have to battle his self-proclaimed receiver idol Adam Thielen for those balls. Thielen is ready.

"I know, I love it," said Thielen of the competition. "I love it."

JD and DJ ready for 2025 together

Jadeveon Clowney may have joked that he was ready to see Falcons fans in Cabo after knowing the NFC South rival out of the playoffs—"(Or Cancun), either one of them"—but he knows the joke means he was also a team not in the playoffs. Which is why when Clowney is on his vacation this offseason, a vacation he laughingly (but also presumably seriously) told reporters was starting as soon as he touched back down in Charlotte, he's also going to be thinking ahead to the 2025 season.

"If I sign up to play ball I'm going to give you my all, no matter where it's at, no matter what team I'm on. I signed up to be here. So that's what it's going to be. I'm coming back and train hard like I always do and play my best ball next year," said Clowney, the former No. 1 overall pick.

Part of playing his best ball could depend on D.J. Wonnum. The duo only had the second half of the season together this year after Wonnum experienced dangerous complications from a quad injury suffered last season. Once the outside linebacker was on the field again though, Clowney felt like he was playing in a different defense.

"I'm going to get my boy right. I told him he just need to get healthy. He came back midseason and it changed. When he came back, he also changed the defense," Clowney shared Sunday.

"The guy make plays. He was a big part of us in the second half of the year playing well, even for me playing well. When he came back, I started playing a lot better because I had him over there. I'm not saying nobody else wasn't playing well. I ain't trying to say that, but I like DJ. He's a Gamecock, you know, so that's my boy, man."

As Wonnum was rehabbing, Clowney tried to be there for the teammate he'd never shared a snap with, offering advice and support whenever possible.

"I just want to see him succeed and be great," Clowney said. "I try to help him because he kind of reminded me of myself with the injuries. I started off early. He got a few, so I try to tell him all year long, how to manage certain things, what he should do this offseason to get ahead of it for next year.

"So I think DJ going to bounce back next year, have a great year."

Do it all Moore

When the Seattle Seahawks drafted David Moore in the seventh-round of the 2017 NFL Draft, Moore knew who was responsible. Then Seahawks wide receivers coach, Dave Canales. The duo spent the next four seasons together in the Pacific Northwest. Moore then spent the next two seasons bouncing around between five teams, including a stint in Charlotte. When Canales was hired as the offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay, he brought Moore with him. Then did the same this year with the Panthers.

This is all well told history but still germane to the story of Moore on Sunday.

Because on Sunday, yet again, Moore was asked to step up and fill-in. After rookie Xavier Legette left with a hip injury and didn't return in the second half, Moore took over.

"We wanted to make sure that we took care of (Legette) that way and David Moore did a great job coming in there, got a touchdown late," bragged Canales.

Added Moore, "This year, seeing that I had to take that role, it was a big step for me having to play each and every position be ready at all times. It just taught me a lot, you know they told me that they trusted me to be in any position and go out there at any time whenever they need me and just play my role and that's that's kind of what I've doing since I got in the league, so I kind of love doing that."

The Legette decision was more precautionary than anything. But it was a decision they were able to make because Moore was ready, a luxury in the receivers corps. And Moore, an eight-year vet, will always answer the bell when Dave Canales calls.

"He's been that guy for me, you know, that helping hand that comes to my rescue," Moore said. "And he's just a breath of fresh air and I try to do that for him as a player."

Moore finished with one catch for a 9-yard touchdown on Sunday. He had 32 receptions for 351 yards and three touchdowns on the season.

First last

The great poet of our time, Ricky Bobby, once said, "if you're not first, you're last." We think he meant more in the sense of if you're not winning, you're losing. But Canales found a way to put his own positive twist on the sentiment Sunday.

Against the Falcons, despite the overtime win, the Panthers defense gave up 537 total yards and 38 points. Both of those stats put Carolina in typically avoided company. They now own the league's all-time record for points allowed in a season with 534, eclipsing the 533 posted by the 1981 Colts. The Colts did it in 16 games. They're second all-time in yards allowed with 6,877 (trailing just the 2012 Saints with 7,042) and third in rushing yards allowed in a season with 3,057.

The only bright spots were Mike Jackson's interception, which set the offense up for a touchdown, and Clowney's sack on third-down to force a long field goal, which was missed

"If you're gonna be last, be the first last. Be absolutely number one in that regard," quipped Canales, before losing his fight with a laugh. After the moment of brevity though, the head coach acknowledged the elephant in the room.

"I think there's a lot of things we have to address, I know that. And we'll get to work on that," the coach promised. As the curtain closed on a 2024 season that saw vast swaths of the Panthers defense lost to injury though, Canales tipped his hat to those who helped finish off the season.

"At the same time I want to honor every single one of those guys who played so hard for us and and try to do what we asked them to do the whole time as we were troubleshooting issues and facing the different challenges that each team posed against our defense.

"And the guys never wavered, they just stayed together, they worked hard, they played hard and finished for each other and that's what I'm most proud of."