Panthers eliminate Cardinals from playoffs on Hubbard's TD run in overtime for 36-30 win

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Chuba Hubbard didn't sulk after his fumble in overtime three weeks ago in front of home crowd cost the Carolina Panthers a win against the rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

But the memory of letting his teammates down was never far from his mind.

“I didn't beat myself up too much about it. I just told myself when the next opportunity comes, make the most of it," Hubbard said.

He did just that on Sunday.

Hubbard ran for a 21-yard touchdown in overtime, and the Panthers eliminated the Arizona Cardinals from playoff contention with a 36-30 victory, capping a brilliant day for the fourth-year running back in Carolina's final home game of the season.

Hubbard finished with 152 yards — one shy of his career high — and two TDs on 25 carries.

He rushed for 49 yards on two carries on the decisive drive in OT on the same bread-and-butter play behind right guard Robert Hunt called “duo” — a 28-yard scamper to get his team into field goal range and then the game-winner, in which he broke two tackles before racing to the end zone.

“God's timing is undefeated,” Hubbard said. “I'm just blessed to finish it the right way.”

Panthers coach Dave Canales praised Hubbard for his work ethic.

“It speaks to his character,” Canales said. “That's just who he is. He is just going to go right back to work and we are just going to keep giving him the ball, especially in those types of moments. It was just a beautiful moment. It great redemption for Chuba, for sure."

Bryce Young went 17 of 26 for 158 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a career-best 68 yards, including 23-yard score, as the Panthers (4-11) snapped a four-game skid. Adam Thielen and David Moore had TD catches.

Kyler Murray threw for 202 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and his 20-yard TD run helped rally Arizona (7-8) from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force the extra period. But it wasn't enough for the Cardinals, who led the NFC West in early November but have lost four of five since.

James Conner rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown and caught four passes for 49 yards before leaving in the third quarter with a knee injury — one of several injuries for Arizona. Murray had 63 yards on the ground.

“It’s hard. It’s a learning process,” Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said of missing the postseason. “We’ve got to take good hard looks in the mirror and get better.”

The Panthers built a 20-3 lead by scoring touchdowns on their first three possessions — the first time they've done that since Dec. 30, 2018. They benefited from a host of Arizona mistakes.

Carolina converted two fourth downs and took advantage of a roughing-the-passer penalty on Arizona rookie linebacker Xavier Thomas on a third-and-8 play when Young was simply trying to throw the ball away to take a 7-0 lead on a 4-yard TD run by Hubbard.

The blunders carried over to the Arizona offense. Center Hjalte Froholdt was flagged for holding on a fourth-and-1 play at the Carolina 21, forcing the Cardinals to settle for Chad Ryland's 48-yard field goal.

Young scrambled for a touchdown on Carolina's next possession, and the Cardinals gave the ball back on an aborted snap by Murray and recovery by the Panthers, setting up Young's 8-yard touchdown pass to Thielen.

Arizona leaned on Conner to get back into the game. He had 158 yards from scrimmage in the first half and scored on a 6-yard TD run. Murray threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to DeeJay Dallas with 7 seconds left in the half to get the Cardinals within 20-17.

The Panthers pulled ahead 30-20 with 12 minutes left when Young threw a perfectly placed over-the-shoulder pass to Moore along the left sideline.

But Murray's TD run got the Cardinals within three, and then he led a 35-yard drive in the final 1:47 to set up Ryland's 58-yard field goal at the end of regulation.

In overtime, Gannon went for it on fourth-and-2 at the Arizona 18, and Michael Carter picked up the first down with a 5-yard run. But the Panthers then sacked Murray at his own 7, forcing a punt. The Cardinals never got the ball back.

Cardinals: LT Paris Johnson (knee) did not play, and RT Jonah Williams was lost to a knee injury in the third quarter. LB Baron Browning (neck) and safety Joey Blunt (ribs) left in the second half.

Panthers: C Cade Mays (illness) was a late scratch.

Cardinals: Visit the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday.

Panthers: Visit Tampa Bay next Sunday.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Arizona Cardinals running back DeeJay Dallas celebrates after scoring against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Carolina Panthers wide receiver David Moore catches a touchdown pass ahead of Arizona Cardinals cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young celebrates after a touchdown by wide receiver David Moore during the second half of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Carolina Panthers wide receiver David Moore catches a touchdown pass ahead of Arizona Cardinals cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard leaves the field after scoring the winning touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals during overtime of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young passes against the Arizona Cardinals during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Arizona Cardinals running back Michael Carter runs against the Carolina Panthers during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Greg Dortch runs by Carolina Panthers linebacker Jacoby Windmon during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)

Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders celebrates their overtime win against the Arizona Cardinals in an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard runs over Arizona Cardinals cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard scores the winning touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals during overtime of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard hugs head coach Dave Canales after scoring the winning touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals during overtime of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard celebrates after a long run against the Arizona Cardinals during overtime of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)

PHOENIX (AP) — Donald Trump suggested Sunday that his new administration could try to regain control of the Panama Canal that the United States “foolishly” ceded to its Central American ally, contending that shippers are charged “ridiculous” fees to pass through the vital transportation channel linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Panama's conservative president José Raúl Mulino, who was elected in April on a pro-business platform, roundly rejected that notion as an affront to his country's sovereignty.

The Republican president-elect's comment came during his first major rally since winning the White House on Nov. 5. He also basked in his return to power as a large audience of conservatives cheered along. It was a display of party unity at odds with a just-concluded budget fight on Capitol Hill, where some GOP lawmakers openly defied their leader's demands.

Addressing supporters at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Arizona, Trump pledged that his “dream team Cabinet” would deliver a booming economy, seal U.S. borders and quickly settle wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.

“I can proudly proclaim that the Golden Age of America is upon us,” Trump said. “There’s a spirit that we have now that we didn’t have just a short while ago.”

His appearance capped a four-day pep rally that drew more than 20,000 activists and projected an image of Republican cohesion despite the past week's turbulence in Washington with Trump pulling strings from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida as Congress worked to avoid a government shutdown heading into the holidays.

House Republicans spiked a bipartisan deal after Trump and Elon Musk, his billionaire ally, expressed their opposition on social media. Budget hawks flouted Trump's demand that they raise the nation’s debt ceiling, which would have spared some new rounds of the same fight after he takes office on Jan. 20, with Republicans holding narrow control of the House and Senate. The final agreement did not address the issue and there was no shutdown.

Trump, in his remarks in Phoenix, did not mention the congressional drama, though he did reference Musk's growing power. To suggestions that "President Trump has ceded the presidency to Elon,” Trump made clear, “No, no. That’s not happening.”

“He’s not gonna be president,” Trump said.

The president-elect opened the speech by saying that "we want to try to bring everybody together. We’re going to try. We’re going to really give it a shot." Then he suggested Democrats have “lost their confidence” and are “befuddled” after the election but eventually will ”come over to our side because we want to have them.”

Atop a list of grievances — some old, some new — was the Panama Canal.

“We’re being ripped off at the Panama Canal,” he said, bemoaning that his country ”foolishly gave it away.”

The United States built the canal in the early 1900s as it looked for ways to facilitate the transit of commercial and military vessels between its coasts. Washington relinquished control of the waterway to Panama on Dec. 31, 1999, under a treaty signed in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter.

The canal depends on reservoirs to operate its locks and was heavily affected by 2023 Central American droughts that forced it to substantially reduce the number of daily slots for crossing ships. With fewer ships using the canal each day, administrators also increased the fees that are charged all shippers for reserving a slot.

With weather returning to normal in the later months of this year, transit on the canal has normalized. But price increases are still expected for next year.

Mulino, Panama's president, has been described as a conservative populist who aligns with Trump on many issues. Panama is a strong U.S. ally and the canal is crucial for its economy, generating about one-fifth of that government’s annual revenue.

Still, Trump said, that, once his second term is underway, "If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America, in full, quickly and without question.”

“I’m not going to stand for it," Trump said. "So to the officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly.”

He did not explain how that would be possible.

Shortly after Trump's speech, Mulino released a video declaring that “every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama and will continue to belong” to his country.

Without mentioning Trump by name, Mulino addressed Trump's complaints over rising fees for ships crossing the canal, saying they are set by experts who take into account operational costs, and supply and demand factors.

“The tariffs are not set on a whim” Mulino said. He noted that Panama has expanded the canal over the years to increase ship traffic “on its own initiative,” and added that shipping fee increases help pay for improvements.

“Panamanians may have different views on many issues” Mulino said. “But when it comes to our canal, and our sovereignty, we will all unite under our Panamanian flag.”

The canal aside, Trump’s appearance at Turning Point’s annual gathering affirmed the growing influence the group and its founder, Charlie Kirk, have had in the conservative movement. Kirk’s group hired thousands of field organizers across presidential battlegrounds, helping Trump make key gains among infrequent voters and other groups of people that have trended more Democratic in recent decades, including younger voters, Black men and Latino men.

”You had Turning Point’s grassroots armies,” Trump said. “It’s not my victory, it’s your victory.”

Trump on Sunday also announced several new members of his incoming administration, most notably:

-Stephen Miran, who worked at the Treasury Department in Trump's first term, to lead the Council of Economic Advisers, an executive branch agency charged with providing objective economic advice to the president.

—Callista Gingrich to be the U.S. ambassador to Switzerland. Gingrich was U.S. ambassador to the Holy See in Trump's first term. She is married to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Separately, Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt announced he was donating $1.1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund to complement the $14 million that he said he already had given to the Make America Great Again Inc. super political action committee — making him one of the president-elect’s top donors.

Pratt is chairman of Pratt Industries, which uses recycled paper and boxes as a raw material in a process that produces new cardboard.

Weissert reported from West Palm Beach, Florida. Associated Press writer Manuel Rueda in Bogota, Colombia, contributed to this report.

President-elect Donald Trump speaks at AmericaFest, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

FILE - A cargo ship traverses the Agua Clara Locks of the Panama Canal in Colon, Panama, Sept. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)

President-elect Donald Trump arrives to speak at AmericaFest, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

President-elect Donald Trump speaks at AmericaFest, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

President-elect Donald Trump speaks at AmericaFest, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

President-elect Donald Trump speaks at AmericaFest, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

President-elect Donald Trump speaks at AmericaFest, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)