Three games into the season, the Carolina Panthers have already put their fans through three very different moods.
First came the 59-point mess against Chicago. Then a 34-3 win over Atlanta. Then Sunday’s 21-18 loss to Cleveland, a game Carolina led late before letting it slip away.
That kind of week-to-week whiplash makes the 1-2 record hard to read. It also makes the panic question a little more complicated than it looks on paper.
There are things to worry about, no question. But after three games, the season doesn’t feel like it’s already gone off the rails.
The record is part of the frustration, though. Carolina could easily be 2-1 right now, and Sunday’s loss is the one that stings because it felt there for the taking.
The offense moved the ball. The Panthers finished with 360 yards.
The problem was what happened once they got near the end zone. Too many drives ended with three points, and Ryan Fitzgerald’s four field goals - including a 53-yarder - weren’t enough to cover for the missed touchdowns.
That’s not a formula anyone wants to live with every week. Four field goals can get the job done sometimes.
On Sunday, it left too much on the table. When you lose by three, those empty trips start looming large.
The defense, at least, gave Carolina something to build on after the Chicago disaster. That game was brutal: 59 points allowed, 552 yards surrendered, and 291 rushing yards given up on the ground. After that, it was fair to wonder if the defense was going to be a season-long issue.
Then the Panthers answered by holding Atlanta to three points and limiting Cleveland to 259 yards. They did it Sunday without Devin Lloyd and Nick Scott, too.
That doesn’t erase what happened against Chicago, and it doesn’t mean everything is fixed. But it does buy the defense some time. If Carolina were getting pushed around every week, the conversation would be a lot darker.
Bryce Young is going to take the heat for the interception, and he should. Carolina got the ball back with a chance to tie or win, and he made a mistake at the worst possible time, even if pressure and a hit by a defender may have affected the throw.
Still, one bad play doesn’t wipe out what Young has done through three games. He has thrown for 939 yards and seven touchdowns, and there have been stretches where he has looked really good.
What stands out more from Sunday is the way the Panthers handled their offense late. Young threw it 48 times, which is a lot when Chuba Hubbard was running for 82 yards on 19 carries. Hubbard has been productive, and the ball probably should have gone his way more often.
That’s the part that lingers. Carolina was up 18-13 with less than five minutes left and had a chance to close it out.
The defense couldn’t finish the job. Then the offense got its turn and couldn’t answer either.
That’s why this loss feels worse than Chicago, even though the Bears beat Carolina more convincingly. Sunday in Cleveland felt like a game the Panthers let get away.
So no, the panic button isn’t getting hit yet. The Panthers are 1-2, and there are real things that need cleaning up. But the bigger picture still leaves room for patience, because this team probably should be 2-1.
That’s where the season sits right now: frustrating, unfinished, and still hard to pin down. The next time Carolina is in that kind of spot, we may learn a lot more about what this team actually is.
In Other News...
Panthers Have A Tetairoa McMillan Problem They Need To Solve
The Panthers left Week 3 with another reminder that their passing game still has room to grow, and a big part of that conversation centered on Tetairoa McMillan. After building momentum in the early part of the season, the rookie wideout was much quieter against Cleveland, and the matchup with cornerback Denzel Ward went a long way toward explaining why Carolina struggled to generate enough offense.
McMillan drew only two targets and finished with one catch, a sharp dip from what the Panthers have come to expect from him. Dave Canales and Bryce Young both acknowledged the issue afterward, with the offense needing to find better ways to get McMillan involved if it wants to stay on schedule and avoid more days like this one. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Suddenly Have A Guard Problem They Cant Ignore
Damien Lewiss UCL tear has left the Panthers searching for answers on the interior of their offensive line, and the timing makes the loss even tougher to absorb. Lewis was expected to be a stabilizing presence, but now Carolina is bracing to be without him for several weeks and perhaps longer, forcing the team to reshuffle a group that already has little margin for error.
Corey Bullock is handling the spot for now, but the Panthers do not appear content to simply ride out the injury and hope for the best. Free agents, practice squad options and even the trade market are all part of the conversation as Carolina tries to protect its depth up front, a reminder that one injury inside can quickly become a bigger roster issue than it first looks. [Read more 🡒]
Bryce Young Leaves Panthers Facing Two Big Week 4 Concerns
Bryce Youngs afternoon against Cleveland was a mixed one for Carolina, the kind of performance that left both promise and concern in its wake. He completed 26 of 48 passes for 291 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the Panthers 21-18 loss, continuing a season in which he has already emerged as the teams top passing threat with 939 yards and seven scores.
The bigger issue came when Young was injured during the game and will now go through tests, even if the early word from the head coach is that he should be fine for the next one. For a Panthers team trying to build on its young quarterbacks progress, the uncertainty is a reminder that his development and availability are now tied tightly together, especially with Young still operating on his rookie deal after the club picked up his fifth-year option. [Read more 🡒]