They didn’t make it easy, but the Carolina Panthers left Philadelphia with more than just a win. They walked out with a stack of milestones, a few team records, and at least one ugly mark they’d probably rather forget.
Bryce Young was the centerpiece of it all. He became the first quarterback in team history to throw for at least 250 yards and a touchdown in seven straight games.
He also became the first player in the NFL since 2013 to pass for at least 280 yards and a touchdown in the first five games of a season. The last two quarterbacks to do that both went on to win MVPs: Aaron Rodgers in 2011 and Peyton Manning in 2013.
Young’s offense has been piling up points too. Through five games, the Panthers have scored 146, which is the highest total in team history at that point in a season. That breaks the previous mark of 135 set by Cam Newton and the 2015 Panthers during their MVP run and trip to SB 50.
There were other individual numbers worth noting. Tetairoa McMillan’s six catches tied Kelvin Benjamin as the second-fastest player in team history to reach 100 career receptions. It’s not the cleanest career comparison, but it still says plenty about how quickly he’s getting there.
Ryan Fitzgerald added his own line to the record book as well. His first field goal of the afternoon made him the first kicker since big-legged Joey Slye to open a season by making his first 10 attempts. And yes, Slye also missed two extra points in that stretch.
Then there was JJ Jansen, who reached a historic benchmark of his own by setting the NFL record for most games played by a long snapper. Only another 100 games or so stand between him and the all-time mark for most games played in league history.
Not everything in the box score was cause for celebration. The Panthers also set the team record for the most penalty yardage allowed in a single game. That’s a rough one, especially for a club that has already lived near the top of the league in penalties all season long and came out of the bye week still committing too many of them.
And for those who enjoy a little league-wide chaos, the Panthers’ win also helped make NFL history in another way. By beating the Eagles, they helped the NFC East become the first division ever to have all of its teams go winless in back-to-back weeks.
The result, the records, and the way the season has unfolded so far make it hard to ignore the buzz around this team. Sure, the Panthers’ history has taught plenty of caution.
But when a team is stacking up the good kind of milestones, that tends to get people talking. Next up is Tampa Bay.
In Other News...
Panthers Trade Deadline Could Expose One Awkward Roster Fit
The Panthers win over the Eagles only sharpened the conversation around Carolinas next move before the Nov. 10 trade deadline. With the roster still searching for upgrades, Sports Illustrated floated a few names that could make sense for the Panthers, including Philadelphia tight end Dallas Goedert, Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen and Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston as potential answers to lingering needs.
One reason the deadline feels intriguing is that Carolina may have to sort through fit as much as talent. Any pursuit would have to account for where those players slot into the current mix, and one possible acquisition could create an awkward overlap on a roster that is still taking shape. The Panthers have a chance to improve, but the bigger question may be whether the best available move actually fits cleanly. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Depth Chart Shows Carolina's Roster Shift Before Bucs Showdown
The Panthers are carrying a noticeably different look into Week 7 after getting Trevor Etienne, Taylor Moton and Tershawn Wharton back on the active roster before last weeks win over the Eagles. Those moves helped stabilize Carolina for a tough stretch, and now the updated depth chart offers a clearer picture of how the team is sorting out its pieces ahead of a divisional meeting with Tampa Bay.
For a roster that has been shuffled by injuries and weekly adjustments, the new alignment matters because it can shape both the rotation and the game plan against the Buccaneers. The chart lays out where Carolina sees its players at each spot, and with another NFC South test on deck, the details behind those rankings could tell as much about the Panthers current direction as the result itself. [Read more 🡒]
Bryce Young Is Forcing A Panthers Debate Nobody Expected This Fast
Bryce Young has turned the first five weeks of 2024 into a very different conversation than the one Carolina expected to be having this soon. After the Panthers exercised his fifth-year option, Young responded by setting a new franchise mark with 11 passing touchdowns through the teams first five games, while helping push Carolina to a 3-2 record entering Week 6.
It has not just been about scoring through the air, either. Young has thrown for 1,549 yards with only two interceptions, and he is currently leading the NFL in passing yards per game. For a team that spent much of the last year searching for stability at quarterback, the bigger question now is no longer whether Young can settle in, but how far this version of the Panthers can go if he keeps playing like this. [Read more 🡒]