EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (Interstat) — The Carolina Panthers relied on a stifling defensive effort and a methodical offensive performance to hand the New York Jets their seventh consecutive loss, 13-6, on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

In a game dominated by defense and offensive miscues, the Panthers improved to 4-3 while the Jets remained winless, falling to 0-7 in a season that continues to spiral.

Carolina’s defense set the tone early and never relented, sacking Jets quarterbacks six times and intercepting two passes. Defensive tackle Derrick Brown led the charge with two sacks and seven tackles, while safety Nick Scott and linebacker Christian Rozeboom each added seven tackles. The Panthers held the Jets to just 126 passing yards and consistently derailed any momentum New York tried to build.

The Panthers’ offense, while not explosive, did enough to secure the victory. Quarterback Bryce Young completed 15 of 25 passes for 138 yards and added 10 yards and a touchdown on the ground. His primary target was rookie Xavier Legette, who hauled in nine catches for 92 yards and the game’s only touchdown, a 3-yard reception just before halftime that gave Carolina a 10-3 lead.

The scoring was sparse throughout the contest. Carolina opened with a 30-yard field goal from Ryan Fitzgerald in the first quarter. The Jets responded early in the second quarter with a 34-yard field goal from Nick Folk to make it 3-3.

The game’s decisive moment came with 1:11 remaining in the first half. Young engineered a 67-yard drive, culminating in his short touchdown pass to Legette to give the Panthers a lead they would not surrender.

Carolina extended its lead to 13-3 with another Fitzgerald field goal, this time from 29 yards, in the third quarter. Folk added a 47-yard field goal for the Jets in the fourth quarter to pull within a touchdown, but New York’s offense could not muster a game-tying drive.

The Jets cycled through quarterbacks Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor with little success. Fields completed 6 of 12 passes for 46 yards and ran for 22 yards before being replaced. Taylor went 10 for 22 for 126 yards and was intercepted twice, both times by Carolina’s Jaycee Horn.

Linebacker Jamien Sherwood was a bright spot for the Jets’ defense, recording a game-high 10 tackles and a sack.

The loss defied pregame projections, as the Jets had been installed as 1.5-point favorites and statistical models gave them a 64 percent chance to win. The combined 19 points fell far below the over/under line of 41.5.

Attendance was 71,047.

Carolina will host the Buffalo Bills next Sunday. The Jets will travel to face the Cincinnati Bengals.