CHARLOTTE — The Panthers might be making progress.

But they're not good enough yet to survive turnovers and the kind of mistakes they hadn't been making lately.

The Panthers fell 30-14 to the Cowboys Sunday at Bank of America Stadium, the kind of effort they hadn't put out there in over a month and a half.

After winning a couple of games before the bye and coming back from Germany to drop three games to playoff contenders by a combined 12 points, the Panthers (3-11) were feeling something resembling confidence.

They were also favored in a game for the first time in 33 games, but just like that 2022 matchup with the Steelers (a 24-16 loss at home), they weren't able to validate it.

The Panthers committed four turnovers, which the Cowboys turned into 10 points. But the way they turned it over added to the pain. Their first drive was textbook — 13 plays, 72 yards, chewing up over eight minutes of the clock. But Bryce Young fumbled on a scramble, giving away a scoring chance and setting the mood for the entire day.

Young fumbled twice (once on a sack, once while scrambling), threw a tip-drill interception and then another one late, and had another ball knocked loose by Micah Parsons that his guys recovered.

The protection was also a problem, breaking another recent positive trend.

The Panthers had only given up 22 sacks in the first 13 games, but the Cowboys dropped Bryce Young six times on Sunday.

Coupled with mistakes big and small (including two false starts by Robert Hunt, one by Adam Thielen, and others, along with an unnecessary roughness penalty on special teams captain Sam Franklin Jr.), there were more problems than the Panthers could overcome.

They also allowed 211 rushing yards, and were unable to get off the field for long stretches.

— Young has opened some eyes of late, and he also set a new record Sunday by airing it out.

His 83-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Coker in the second quarter was the longest completion of his career.

His previous long this year was a 46, and he had a 48 last year.

The Cowboys appeared to be squatting on a short route to Thielen (which they were throwing a lot of), and Coker got behind the defense and cruised for an easy score.

— Xavier Legette left the game in the second half, and was reported as questionable to return with a groin injury.

The rookie wideout was on an exercise bike on the sidelines before retreating to the bench.

He had two catches for 7 yards before leaving.

— The Panthers were also running out of linebackers in the first half.

They were already without rookie starter Trevin Wallace inactive because of a shoulder injury. And then Josey Jewell was called off the field by the league spotters. He was not pleased with the decision and ran to the blue tent.

Before he could come back out and retrieve his helmet, Claudin Cherelus went down.

That left them with just two healthy inside linebackers, practice squad call-up Jacoby Windmon and special teamer Jon Rhattigan.

Rhattigan came on to play his first snap of defense all year and was in the vicinity of the Cooper Rush fumble that DJ Johnson fell on, which led to the Coker touchdown.

Cherelus and Jewell returned to the field in the second half.