CHARLOTTE — The Panthers have been able to withstand injuries on the offensive line all year, and the results have generally been good.

Sunday, when they all hit at once, the mood was very different.

The Panthers lost right guard Brady Christensen to what head coach Dave Canales called a "significant" Achilles injury during their 40-9 loss to the Bills, and that might not be all.

They finished the game without bedrock right tackle Taylor Moton because of a knee injury, and he immediately changed into street clothes at halftime. Canales said they'd need to do more tests to know the severity of his situation. Center Cade Mays left in the first half with an ankle injury after getting rolled up on during the first series, and spent most of the rest of the day on an exercise bike on the sidelines.

But not having a veteran like Moton, and not having a five-position starter like Christensen (who rolled through the locker room on a medical scooter with his right foot in a boot) was a difficult scene for the guys who know them best.

"Any time you see guys going down like that, it's always tough to see," left tackle Ikem Ekwonu said. "Like those are the guys that you work with the whole offseason, you're on a shared mission together, especially some of those guys that have been here for the long haul, seeing the ups and downs of this program.

"It's definitely tough losing some of those guys that are part of the blood and the bricks."

The Panthers entered the week having shown resilience. They had used six different lineups in the first seven games, but got a familiar one back this week when Damien Lewis returned after a one-week absence. And the results have been good, with the team third in the league in rushing and eighth in sacks allowed per pass play.

But by the end of the game, they were out of reserves, with Austin Corbett in for Mays at center, Yosh Nijman in for Moton at right tackle, and Jake Curhan, a midseason replacement signed off the Cardinals practice squad, finishing the game for Christensen.

So the fact that they ran for 114 yards or allowed a season-high seven sacks of Andy Dalton wasn't nearly as troubling as seeing one of their own leave the field on a cart.

"We've got to wait till all tests come back, but guys are sticking together; the bonds in that room are strong," Corbett said. "The love we have for one another, we'll just stay strong, keep praying, keep all the families in our hearts, and we'll figure it out, and we'll go from there.

"I mean, so many rotations already in that starting five that there's going to be no hiccup of getting in there. It's just a matter of who's going to be the five come next week."

Corbett and Christensen have been through a lot together already. They were 17-game starters in 2022, before injuries in the finale altered the course of their lives and the seasons to come. Christensen broke his ankle that day, and Corbett tore his ACL, so they've spent months together in the training room. Since then, both have suffered torn biceps. Corbett has sprained his MCL in the same left knee twice more (and has already come back from IR this year, after a Week 2, which saw him and Rob Hunt leave with injuries).

As Corbett said, the bonds in that room are strong, so Mays said as soon as he finished talking to reporters, he was going to be back to see Christensen, who has started at every position on the line for the Panthers.

"It hurts," Mays said. "He's having a hell of a year, and you know, just to see that happen, it's terrible. I feel for him. I'm going to go see him here in a second. He's always kept it really professional, no matter where his position is on the line.

"I mean, he's been having a hell of a year, and he's a pro's pro. He shows up every day, no matter what's asked of him. He does it to the best of his ability, and you can't ask for much more than that."

The human part of this equation remains the most important. But the Panthers also have some logistical problems.

Other than the five who finished Sunday's game, the Panthers only had one other lineman on the 53-man roster — center Nick Samac, who was signed off the Ravens practice squad when Corbett went on IR.

On the practice squad, they have Brandon Walton (who has been promoted three times already this season, which is the limit) and Saahdiq Charles, who has played in 35 games with 18 starts in his career. They also have recent exposure to rookie tackle Michael Tarquin, who was released from the practice squad last week to make room for an extra quarterback in Mike White.

Either way, roster moves and new friends won't change the fact that seeing Christensen carted off the field, or leaving the stadium on that scooter, will hurt.

"Yeah, that's tough," Ekwonu said, as Christensen rolled slowly away. "That's definitely tough. Obviously, Brady's been a warrior for us. He was next to me in my rookie year, and he's played damn near every position on that field for us.

"Ultimate warrior, sacrifices his body week in and week out, so it's definitely unfortunate for him. Wishing him the best, honestly, and just, you know, just hopefully he gets around his family, gets around his loved ones, ... and yeah, it's definitely tough."