The Carolina Panthers’ 3-point loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 3 had a little of everything ugly, and that made the postgame grading job pretty simple in some spots. Some units held up better than the final score suggested. Others were a mess from start to finish.
Bryce Young did not play a clean game, but the deck was stacked against him. He was under pressure on 51% of his dropbacks, had no real help from the ground game, and was working with a receiver group of Tetairoa McMillan, Brycen Tremayne, and John Metchie III. Under those conditions, Young actually held up ridiculously well, even if he missed a few throws and may have been dealing with a banged-up ankle.
The backfield never gave Carolina much to lean on. Chuba Hubbard and AJ Dillon were both underwhelming, with Hubbard only getting going late against a tired defense and Dillon offering only a small sample of decent work. The production came too late and it came in too little volume, and that lack of effectiveness hurt the Panthers badly.
McMillan had a rough afternoon, though the circumstances mattered. He was basically the only true pass-catcher on the field, which made it easy for Cleveland to stay glued to him. Tremayne stood out positively, and Metchie did solid work as well, but the overall receiver and tight end output was not good enough.
The offensive line was the clearest disaster of the day. There’s no grade below an F, but Carolina’s front deserved one.
It allowed pressure on 51% of Young’s dropbacks and failed to create anything meaningful in the run game. That was the biggest reason the Panthers walked away upset.
On the other side, the defensive line was one of the few groups that could leave the field with some credit. It may have been the best showing yet against a rushing attack, even if Cleveland had already struggled there entering the game. Derrick Brown was good, and the pass rush had its moments when it wasn’t letting Deshaun Watson escape or committing an idiotic, and questionable, roughing the passer penalty that helped decide the game.
Carolina also had to survive without Devin Lloyd, and that absence showed. Bobby Okereke played solidly apart from the roughing penalty that wiped out a game-ending interception. Tyrel Dodson, though, was lost in the action, including falling asleep in zone coverage on the touchdown that ended up winning the game.
The secondary, all things considered, held up better than you might expect. Nick Scott was out from the start, Mike Jackson followed him off the field shortly after, and Jaycee Horn exited late.
Even with all that turnover, the group did a decent job, though Deshaun Watson did not test them much and missed plenty of throws. Will Lee and Lathan Ransom also left interceptions on the table with dropped easy picks.
In Other News...
Bryce Young Suddenly Has A New Panthers Safety Valve
The Panthers are trying to steady things after a 1-2 start and a loss to Cleveland, and the timing is not exactly ideal. With starting cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson now on injured reserve and left guard Damien Lewis expected to miss time with an elbow injury, Carolina is dealing with injuries on both sides of the ball while trying to keep Bryce Young moving forward after a promising first few weeks.
One reason the offense has looked more equipped to help him has been the growing role of the tight ends, with Darren Waller getting more involved than Carolina has typically leaned on in recent seasons. Young has thrown for 939 yards and seven touchdowns so far, and the expanded use of tight ends gives the quarterback another outlet as the Panthers try to protect a young offense that is still searching for consistency. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Suddenly Have One More Option As Lions Availability Questions Grow
The Panthers got a little healthier on Thursday, and the timing matters with Detroit coming to town. Wide receiver Jalen Coker, who has been working through a quadriceps injury, was upgraded to limited participation, giving Carolina at least another possibility on a depth chart that has been watched closely all week. He is listed as questionable, but the move was still part of a broader uptick in practice activity for the group.
Monroe Freeling, Chuba Hubbard, Princely Umanmielen and Darren Waller also improved their practice status, while Nick Scott and Devin Lloyd are on track to return after full sessions. For a Panthers team trying to sort out its game-day options, the injury report now offers a little more flexibility, even if the final call on Coker still leaves something to monitor before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Face A Real Odell Beckham Jr. Debate After Latest Exit
Odell Beckham Jr. is back on the market after the New York Giants moved on from him following three games without a catch, and that instantly pushes his name into the kind of conversation teams with receiver concerns cannot ignore. For Carolina, the fit is easy to understand on paper: the Panthers could use more depth at wideout, and a veteran with Beckhams profile would at least bring proven presence to a room that could use another established option.
Carolina has not confirmed any workout or signing, which is where the discussion stays for now. Still, the possibility alone makes for an interesting decision point, because adding Beckham would not just be about filling a roster spot, but about weighing whether the Panthers want to chase upside and experience at a position that remains under scrutiny. [Read more 🡒]