The Carolina Panthers were all playing from the same sheet of music to defeat the New York Jets and move to 4-3, with rookie pass-rusher Princely Umanmielen making an impact
17:58 ET, 19 Oct 2025Updated 17:58 ET, 19 Oct 2025
The Panthers sacked Jets quarterbacks six times with Princely Umanmielen getting in on the action
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The Panthers sacked Jets quarterbacks six times with Princely Umanmielen getting in on the action(Image: Getty Images)
Upon entering the Carolina Panthers locker room following a road win over the New York Jets, one could mistake the scene for something out of an old jazz club.
On Sunday at MetLife Stadium, the Panthers secured a 13-6 win over the winless Jets to move to 4-3. Carolina’s defense was relentless, suffocating Aaron Glenn’s offense to the tune of boos and whistles while Justin Fields was benched in favor of veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor.
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Whether they faced Fields or Taylor mattered not to the Panthers. The defense looked like the Panthers defense of the Julius Peppers era, tallying six sacks for the first time since 2021 — which was also against the Jets.
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Shortly after time expired, the boos of Jets fans out on the field had been replaced by the delicate tones of a harmonica in the locker room. Nic Scourton was unimpressed, but rookie Princley Umanmielen deemed the musical serenade necessary.
“My teammates get annoyed because I whistle a lot, so I play the harmonica to soothe me instead,” Umanmielen exclusively told The Mirror U.S. Sport.
The Jets offense needs more soothing than the Panthers defense. In addition to the sacks in the hard-fought game, Carolina forced two stunning interceptions by cornerback Jaycee Horn out of Taylor in the second half. But Umanmielen was surprised to see the 36-year-old take to the field at all.
“Everything came together perfectly,” the third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft out of Ole Miss said. “We put in the work.
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Jaycee Horn made a spectacular interception to deny the Jets a touchdown in the third quarter before adding another pick in the fourth
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Jaycee Horn made a spectacular interception to deny the Jets a touchdown in the third quarter before adding another pick in the fourth(Image: Getty Images)
“We were anticipating seeing Justin Fields the whole game, so we gameplanned a little more for his running game, but he came out of the game, which I think was a benefit for us cause the other quarterback isn’t as mobile. It took away a threat to their offense and allowed us to attack and be more relentless in our rushes.
“We had some adversity, but it was all about not letting up and not letting them get a moment. The Jets were a desperate team. They’re desperate for a win, so we were wary of that. We just had to come out and be dominant and show what we have been doing the last few weeks, and the level we are capable of.”
Since suffering a blowout loss to Drake Maye’s New England Patriots, the Panthers have been stacking the wins and have enjoyed a three-game winning run. First, Dave Canales’ team defeated the Miami Dolphins before then ousting the Dallas Cowboys. The Jets have since been added to the list.
Jaycee Horn and the Panthers defense were crucial in the win over the Jets
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Jaycee Horn and the Panthers defense were crucial in the win over the Jets(Image: Getty Images)
As a result, Carolina is above .500 for the first time since October 2021. Umanmielen, who added a half sack to his growing rookie tally, is excited to keep growing the music playing, but he’s also staying grounded thanks to wise words from his old college coach.
“I ain’t gonna lie, it feels good — especially getting that first road win. For me, it feels amazing because I put a lot of time into this and worked really hard to battle through the injury, so to get to do my job effectively felt really good.
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“But last year, I played for Lane Kiffin, and he called things going good like this ‘rat poison.’ When people start talking us up and praising our game, it’s just ‘rat poison’ because it’s not good for us to hear that. We just need to keep our heads down and play like we’ve got a chip on our shoulder.”
His 4-3 Panthers will try to keep the chip on the shoulder and the harmonica playing when the 4-2 Buffalo Bills come to Bank of America Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 26.