The Carolina Panthers have finally put an end to the 0-2 start that had followed them since 2021, and they did it in emphatic fashion. Sunday’s 34-3 rout of the Atlanta Falcons gave Carolina a full-team showing, with the offense staying hot and the defense erasing the memory of a rough opener.
Bryce Young was right at the center of it again. In Atlanta, he turned in another strong day, completing 23 of 36 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns.
That came after he opened the 2026 season with 46 completions on 73 attempts for 648 yards, six touchdowns and one interception through two games, plus a rushing score in Week 1. The Panthers have averaged 35.5 points per game through Week 2, and head coach Dave Canales pointed to Young’s growing control of the offense after the win.
Young has been especially comfortable in Atlanta, where he had already delivered a career-high and franchise-record 448 passing yards in 2025. Sunday added another efficient, productive line to the collection.
On the other side of the ball, Devin Lloyd delivered the kind of performance that changes the feel of a game. The inside linebacker finished with a game-high nine tackles, a sack and two interceptions, and one of those picks went back 16 yards for a touchdown. Canales didn’t hold back when describing the outing, saying, "I don't know if I've seen a better performance out of a linebacker in 17 years of coaching in the NFL," and later calling it "One of the most dominant linebacker performances I've seen."
That kind of impact was exactly what Carolina needed after last week’s defensive mess, especially with the Falcons starting third-stringer Cooper Rush at quarterback. The Panthers responded with five takeaways, a turnover on downs and two sacks.
At 1-1, Carolina has avoided a hole that would have been tough to climb out of. The schedule ahead includes the Cleveland Browns next week and then a Week 4 home game against the Detroit Lions and their battered defense. If the Panthers keep rolling on offense and get more of what they showed on defense Sunday, an early bye at 3-1 is very much in play.
In Other News...
Falcons Created A Quarterback Problem They Never Should Have Had
Atlantas quarterback picture got messy fast in Week 2, and it was a mess the Falcons helped create. With Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa dealing with injuries, the team turned to Cooper Rush to start against the Panthers, a move that quickly became a referendum on how the situation was handled from the outset. Rush struggled enough that Atlanta had to keep searching for a better answer as the game wore on.
Late in the fourth quarter, the Falcons finally made the switch to undrafted rookie Jack Strand, a move that only added another layer to the frustration. Strands first extended action ended almost immediately with a pick-six, turning a bad quarterback day into a harder one to defend. The bigger issue now is not just who was under center, but how Atlanta arrived at a point where it had to improvise on the fly. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Suddenly Have A Bigger Problem Than Just An 0-2 Start
The Falcons Week 2 home loss to the Panthers brought a familiar kind of frustration on the scoreboard, but it also left Atlanta dealing with a more immediate concern. Falling to 0-2 for the first time since 2020 is one thing; watching the offense sputter badly enough to trigger a quarterback change in the middle of the game is another, and it underscored how quickly the seasons early narrative has turned.
Bryce Young and Carolina added to the discomfort, with the Panthers quarterback continuing to give Atlanta problems and the Falcons defense struggling to slow him down. The injury situation made the afternoon even messier, with A.J. Terrell leaving with a groin issue and not returning, while other Falcons also went down, giving the team plenty to sort through before the week even turns. [Read more 🡒]
Drake Londons Frustration Said Everything About Atlantas Offensive Mess
Drake Londons body language said plenty Sunday in Atlantas home opener, where the Falcons fell into a deep hole against Carolina and never found much rhythm on offense. The third-year receiver, fresh off a four-year, $141 million extension, was shown on the sideline looking visibly frustrated as the Falcons attack sputtered around him, turning the ball over four times and settling for just one field goal.
London finished with two catches for 29 yards, a modest line that fit the larger story of an offense that looked out of sync from the start. With Cooper Rush starting because of injuries to Michael Penix and Tua Tagovailoa, the quarterback picture remains unsettled, and the larger concern for Atlanta is whether there is any quick fix for an offense that has already started to feel stuck. [Read more 🡒]