Game story
In Week 4 of the 2021 NFL season on 2021-10-03, the Dallas Cowboys took care of business against the Carolina Panthers, pulling away with a 36–28 final that built a comfortable lead.
The highest-scoring period was Q3 with 20 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
S. Darnold (Carolina Panthers) paced the passing game, with +2.22 total EPA, and -0.3% completion percentage over expected.
On the individual side, D. Prescott (Dallas Cowboys) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +9.61 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (+12.6% win probability) landed in the opening quarter when Dallas Cowboys changed the game: (:57) (Shotgun) 4-D.Prescott scrambles left end ran ob at CAR 33 for 21 yards (21-J.Chinn).
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Panthers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 7 | 6 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 36 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 D. Prescott · Dallas Cowboys · Passing · +9.61 total EPA · 27 snaps · +0.36 EPA/play
- 2 B. Zylstra · Carolina Panthers · Receiving · +6.00 total EPA · 2 snaps · +3.00 EPA/play
- 3 A. Cooper · Dallas Cowboys · Receiving · +5.22 total EPA · 3 snaps · +1.74 EPA/play
- 4 C. Wilson · Dallas Cowboys · Receiving · +3.69 total EPA · 2 snaps · +1.84 EPA/play
- 5 Dj. Moore · Carolina Panthers · Receiving · +3.55 total EPA · 12 snaps · +0.30 EPA/play
- 6 R. Freeman · Carolina Panthers · Rushing · +2.92 total EPA · 3 snaps · +0.97 EPA/play
- 7 R. Smith · Carolina Panthers · Receiving · +2.88 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.58 EPA/play
- 8 Dj. Moore · Carolina Panthers · Rushing · +2.36 total EPA · 1 snaps · +2.36 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
D. Prescott — DAL · Passing
D. Prescott posted the highest total EPA (+9.61) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on Dallas Cowboys's efficiency. Across 27 counted snaps, they averaged +0.36 EPA per play.
The signature play (+5.58 EPA) came from Carolina Panthers: (4:54) (Shotgun) 14-S.Darnold pass short left to 16-B.Zylstra pushed ob at DAL 13 for 55 yards (30-A.Brown).
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- Dallas Cowboys — E. Elliott
- Carolina Panthers — S. Darnold
- Dallas Cowboys — B. Jarwin (D. Prescott pass)
- Carolina Panthers — S. Darnold
- Dallas Cowboys — A. Cooper (D. Prescott pass)
- Dallas Cowboys — D. Schultz (D. Prescott pass)
- Dallas Cowboys — C. Wilson (D. Prescott pass)
- Carolina Panthers — S. Darnold
- Carolina Panthers — S. Darnold
Field goals
- Dallas Cowboys — G. Zuerlein
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The opening quarter: The quarter finished even at 7–7. Dallas Cowboys found the end zone from the CAR 1 (Q1 52:31) — (7:31) 21-E.Elliott left guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.; Dallas Cowboys added 1 points from the CAR 15 (Q1 52:27) — 2-G.Zuerlein extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-5-B.Anger.; Carolina Panthers found the end zone from the DAL 1 (Q1 47:45) — (2:45) (Shotgun) 14-S.Darnold right guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.; Carolina Panthers added 1 points from the DAL 15 (Q1 47:41) — 5-Z.Gonzalez extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-3-J.Charlton..
The second quarter: Carolina Panthers won the period 7–6. Dallas Cowboys found the end zone from the CAR 18 (Q2 44:16) — (14:16) (Shotgun) 4-D.Prescott pass short middle to 89-B.Jarwin for 18 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Carolina Panthers found the end zone from the DAL 11 (Q2 37:09) — (7:09) (Shotgun) 14-S.Darnold up the middle for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Carolina Panthers added 1 points from the DAL 15 (Q2 37:02) — 5-Z.Gonzalez extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-3-J.Charlton..
The third quarter: Dallas Cowboys won the period 20–0. Dallas Cowboys found the end zone from the CAR 35 (Q3 25:56) — (10:56) (Shotgun) 4-D.Prescott pass deep right to 19-A.Cooper for 35 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Dallas Cowboys added 1 points from the CAR 15 (Q3 25:49) — 2-G.Zuerlein extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-5-B.Anger.; Dallas Cowboys found the end zone from the CAR 6 (Q3 22:24) — (7:24) 4-D.Prescott pass short right to 86-D.Schultz for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Dallas Cowboys found the end zone from the CAR 23 (Q3 17:23) — (2:23) (Shotgun) 4-D.Prescott pass short right to 1-C.Wilson for 23 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Dallas Cowboys added 1 points from the CAR 15 (Q3 17:17) — 2-G.Zuerlein extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-5-B.Anger..
The fourth quarter: Carolina Panthers won the period 14–3. Dallas Cowboys connected on a field goal from the CAR 20 (Q4 15:00) — (15:00) 2-G.Zuerlein 37 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-5-B.Anger.; Carolina Panthers found the end zone from the DAL 6 (Q4 9:05) — (9:05) (Shotgun) 14-S.Darnold pass short left to 2-Dj.Moore for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Carolina Panthers added 1 points from the DAL 15 (Q4 8:58) — 5-Z.Gonzalez extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-3-J.Charlton.; Carolina Panthers found the end zone from the DAL 8 (Q4 4:36) — (4:36) (Shotgun) 14-S.Darnold pass short middle to 2-Dj.Moore for 8 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Carolina Panthers added 1 points from the DAL 15 (Q4 4:31) — 5-Z.Gonzalez extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-3-J.Charlton..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- Dallas Cowboys (Q1 45:57) — (:57) (Shotgun) 4-D.Prescott scrambles left end ran ob at CAR 33 for 21 yards (21-J.Chinn).
- Carolina Panthers (Q3 29:32) — (14:32) (Shotgun) 14-S.Darnold pass short left to 2-Dj.Moore to DAL 39 for 39 yards (18-D.Kazee).
- Carolina Panthers (Q3 27:54) — (12:54) 5-Z.Gonzalez 54 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Left, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-3-J.Charlton.
- Dallas Cowboys (Q3 25:56) — (10:56) (Shotgun) 4-D.Prescott pass deep right to 19-A.Cooper for 35 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- Carolina Panthers (Q2 43:16) — (13:16) (Shotgun) 14-S.Darnold pass short left to 11-R.Anderson to CAR 36 for 13 yards (30-A.Brown).
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- Carolina Panthers (Q4 4:54) — (4:54) (Shotgun) 14-S.Darnold pass short left to 16-B.Zylstra pushed ob at DAL 13 for 55 yards (30-A.Brown).
- Carolina Panthers (Q3 16:28) — (1:28) (Shotgun) 14-S.Darnold pass short left intended for 2-Dj.Moore INTERCEPTED by 7-T.Diggs at CAR 29. 7-T.Diggs to CAR 29 for no gain (2-Dj.Moore).
- Carolina Panthers (Q3 18:48) — (3:48) (Shotgun) 14-S.Darnold pass short middle intended for 11-R.Anderson INTERCEPTED by 7-T.Diggs [94-R.Gregory] at DAL 40. 7-T.Diggs to CAR 37 for 23 yards (20-R.Smith; 2-Dj.Moore).
- Carolina Panthers (Q3 27:54) — (12:54) 5-Z.Gonzalez 54 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Left, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-3-J.Charlton.
Quarterback report card
S.Darnold led all passers in efficiency for Carolina Panthers, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- S.Darnold (Carolina Panthers) · 48 dropbacks · 54.2% completion · -0.3% CPOE · +0.05 EPA/play · +2.22 total EPA
- D.Prescott (Dallas Cowboys) · 27 dropbacks · 51.9% completion · -6.2% CPOE · +0.36 EPA/play · +9.61 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | Carolina Panthers | Dallas Cowboys |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | +0.019 | +0.132 |
| Offensive success rate | 47.1% | 47.5% |
| Pass EPA/play | +0.046 | +0.356 |
| Rush EPA/play | +0.204 | +0.142 |
| Defensive EPA/play | -0.132 | -0.019 |
| Defensive success rate | 52.5% | 52.9% |
By the numbers
Dallas Cowboys held the efficiency edge in offensive EPA per play (+0.13 vs +0.02), even if the scoreboard told a different story.
- Carolina Panthers: 11 drives, +1.66 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
- Dallas Cowboys: 11 drives, +10.58 total EPA, 6 scoring drives
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.
- Dallas Cowboys leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
- D. Prescott (Dallas Cowboys) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
- D. Prescott (DAL) finished below expected efficiency — volume may have masked accuracy issues.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- Dallas Cowboys TD (+6) — Q1 52:31 · CAR 1 · Score 0-6
(7:31) 21-E.Elliott left guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. - Dallas Cowboys XP (+1) — Q1 52:27 · CAR 15 · Score 0-7
2-G.Zuerlein extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-5-B.Anger. - Carolina Panthers TD (+6) — Q1 47:45 · DAL 1 · Score 6-7
(2:45) (Shotgun) 14-S.Darnold right guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. - Carolina Panthers XP (+1) — Q1 47:41 · DAL 15 · Score 7-7
5-Z.Gonzalez extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-3-J.Charlton. - Dallas Cowboys TD (+6) — Q2 44:16 · CAR 18 · Score 7-13
(14:16) (Shotgun) 4-D.Prescott pass short middle to 89-B.Jarwin for 18 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Carolina Panthers TD (+6) — Q2 37:09 · DAL 11 · Score 13-13
(7:09) (Shotgun) 14-S.Darnold up the middle for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Carolina Panthers XP (+1) — Q2 37:02 · DAL 15 · Score 14-13
5-Z.Gonzalez extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-3-J.Charlton. - Dallas Cowboys TD (+6) — Q3 25:56 · CAR 35 · Score 14-19
(10:56) (Shotgun) 4-D.Prescott pass deep right to 19-A.Cooper for 35 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Dallas Cowboys XP (+1) — Q3 25:49 · CAR 15 · Score 14-20
2-G.Zuerlein extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-5-B.Anger. - Dallas Cowboys TD (+6) — Q3 22:24 · CAR 6 · Score 14-26
(7:24) 4-D.Prescott pass short right to 86-D.Schultz for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Dallas Cowboys TD (+6) — Q3 17:23 · CAR 23 · Score 14-32
(2:23) (Shotgun) 4-D.Prescott pass short right to 1-C.Wilson for 23 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Dallas Cowboys XP (+1) — Q3 17:17 · CAR 15 · Score 14-33
2-G.Zuerlein extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-5-B.Anger. - Dallas Cowboys FG (+3) — Q4 15:00 · CAR 20 · Score 14-36
(15:00) 2-G.Zuerlein 37 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-5-B.Anger. - Carolina Panthers TD (+6) — Q4 9:05 · DAL 6 · Score 20-36
(9:05) (Shotgun) 14-S.Darnold pass short left to 2-Dj.Moore for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Carolina Panthers XP (+1) — Q4 8:58 · DAL 15 · Score 21-36
5-Z.Gonzalez extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-3-J.Charlton. - Carolina Panthers TD (+6) — Q4 4:36 · DAL 8 · Score 27-36
(4:36) (Shotgun) 14-S.Darnold pass short middle to 2-Dj.Moore for 8 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Carolina Panthers XP (+1) — Q4 4:31 · DAL 15 · Score 28-36
5-Z.Gonzalez extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-3-J.Charlton.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Carolina Panthers vs Dallas Cowboys?
The Dallas Cowboys beat the Carolina Panthers 36-28 in Week 4, 2021 on 2021-10-03.
What was the final score of Carolina Panthers vs Dallas Cowboys?
The final score was Carolina Panthers 28, Dallas Cowboys 36 (CAR 28-36 DAL) in Week 4, 2021 on 2021-10-03.
What was the score by quarter in Carolina Panthers vs Dallas Cowboys?
Q1: Carolina Panthers 7, Dallas Cowboys 7; Q2: Carolina Panthers 7, Dallas Cowboys 6; Q3: Carolina Panthers 0, Dallas Cowboys 20; Q4: Carolina Panthers 14, Dallas Cowboys 3; Final: Carolina Panthers 28, Dallas Cowboys 36.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Carolina Panthers vs Dallas Cowboys?
Dallas Cowboys touchdown — E. Elliott (Q1 52:31) Carolina Panthers touchdown — S. Darnold (Q1 47:45) Dallas Cowboys touchdown — B. Jarwin (D. Prescott pass) (Q2 44:16) Carolina Panthers touchdown — S. Darnold (Q2 37:09) Dallas Cowboys touchdown — A. Cooper (D. Prescott pass) (Q3 25:56) Dallas Cowboys touchdown — D. Schultz (D. Prescott pass) (Q3 22:24) Dallas Cowboys touchdown — C. Wilson (D. Prescott pass) (Q3 17:23) Carolina Panthers touchdown — S. Darnold (Q4 9:05) Carolina Panthers touchdown — S. Darnold (Q4 4:36) Dallas Cowboys field goal — G. Zuerlein (Q4 15:00, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in Carolina Panthers vs Dallas Cowboys?
S. Darnold (Carolina Panthers), 54.2% completion, -0.3% CPOE, +0.05 EPA per dropback, +2.22 total passing EPA. D. Prescott (Dallas Cowboys), 51.9% completion, -6.2% CPOE, +0.36 EPA per dropback, +9.61 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in Carolina Panthers vs Dallas Cowboys?
D. Prescott (Dallas Cowboys) led the game in total EPA with +9.61 on passing plays. across 27 snaps. The top single-play swing was (+5.58 EPA): (4:54) (Shotgun) 14-S.Darnold pass short left to 16-B.Zylstra pushed ob at DAL 13 for 55 yards (30-A.Brown).. The biggest win-probability swing was +12.6%.
Season records after this game
Carolina Panthers
Entered 3-0 Now 3-1 L
Dallas Cowboys
Entered 2-1 Now 3-1 W
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