If you’re looking for the clearest sign that the Panthers’ offense has turned a corner, Derrick Brown just handed it to you.
Brown has been in Carolina since 2020, so he’s seen plenty of rough stretches on that side of the ball. That’s why his praise carries real weight now that the unit has become one of the league’s most productive groups. Through the early part of this season, the Panthers rank second in the NFL in yards per game at 404.4 and fourth in scoring at 29.2 points per game, a massive shift from the offense’s struggles over the previous three seasons.
Brown didn’t frame the improvement as a one-man story, either. Speaking with DJ Siddiqi, the defensive tackle pointed directly at the operation around Bryce Young and the people helping make it work.
"It’s been dynamic. For the offense to go out there and have the execution they’ve had in the last few weeks - shout out to Brad Idzik (offensive coordinator), in his first year being a play caller, and him and Bryce being in the same realm," said Brown, who also told Siddiqi that his early MVP vote would go to Young.
Brown then rattled off the other pieces he sees making the whole thing click.
"Getting the ball to Jalen Coker and T-Mac, and the offensive line holding on. It’s just so many moving pieces.
Tommy Tremble and the tight ends are playing such a big role, and I think just having him, Mitchell (Evans) and Darren, we got some pieces. That’s for sure.
I just love to sit back and watch it at this point."
That kind of acknowledgment matters, especially when it comes from a veteran on the other side of the ball. Brown’s read lines up with the biggest reason for the offensive jump: Brad Idzik. In his first year as the play-caller, Idzik has helped shape a more defined identity for a team that badly needed one.
Brown also kept his bigger-picture ambitions grounded when asked about his career goals. He skipped past the easy championship answer and went with something more immediate.
"Yeah, I can’t even say win. I mean, everybody wants to win a Super Bowl, but you got to at least get to the second round of the playoffs.
I think that’s where we stand right now. Get into the first round, and let’s see if we can get out of wild-card weekend and get to that second round."
That target isn’t coming out of nowhere. Brown and the Panthers were close to reaching that point last season, when they nearly knocked off the heavily-favored Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round. Now, with the offense surging and the defense rising alongside it, Carolina has a chance to push one step further in 2026.
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Horn is eager to keep progressing in his recovery, while Jackson has started to regain the speed and change-of-direction ability he needs to get back on the field. The Panthers could open their practice window in the coming weeks, which would at least give the team a better sense of how close it is to getting two important pieces back at a time when every bit of stability in the secondary matters. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Defense Just Took Another Hit Before Buccaneers Game
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Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson are still on injured reserve as they work back from significant injuries, which has made the secondary a constant juggling act. To help fill the gaps, Carolina elevated Nick Hampton and Robert Rochell from the practice squad and activated Bam Martin-Scott from injured reserve, another reminder of how thin the margin has become on that side of the ball. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Just Turned An NFC South Chance Into A Bigger Problem
A divisional game that could have tightened the NFC South instead turned into a rough afternoon for Carolina, as Tampa Bay rolled to a 43-13 win and buried the Panthers with a 26-point second quarter. Bryce Young never found much rhythm before being relieved by Kenny Pickett, and the kind of game plan Carolina needed to steady things simply never materialized once the Buccaneers started piling on.
Dave Canales said he was shocked by how quickly the first half got away from his team, and the turnovers only made the hole deeper. Tampa Bay turned those miscues into 22 points, which left Carolina not just with a loss but with a bigger problem in a division race that had been sitting there for the taking. [Read more 🡒]