Back under the lights, the Detroit Lions hit the road for “Sunday Night Football” as they take on the defending NFC South champion Carolina Panthers. This’ll be Detroit’s second of four primetime games this season, and it won’t be a pushover.
Despite their 1-2 record, the Panthers are an improved football team. So far, their injury luck hasn’t been kind and has certainly played a factor in how this team is performing, coming off a Week 3 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Their offense has taken a step
forward, while the defense still has work to do.
Let’s take a deep look at the Panthers and how much they’ve changed ahead of Week 4.
Carolina Panthers
2025 season
- 8-9 record (1st in NFC South)
- 27th in points for, 15th in point allowed
- Overall DVOA: 25th (25th on offense, 22nd on defense)
2025 was an inconsistent season for the Panthers. They started the year 0-2, then got on a short win streak to reach 4-3, but they never seemed to find their footing to be a playoff threat. They limped into the playoffs, winning the division with an 8-9 record. In the NFC Wild Card round, they almost held off the Los Angeles Rams but ultimately failed, losing 34-31.
Quarterback Bryce Young had his best season so far in the NFL, which was a big factor in the Panthers’ playoff push. He threw career highs in yards (3,011) and touchdowns (23), and an offensive line only allowed a career-low 27 sacks helped.
At running back, Rico Dowdle took over the starting job from Chuba Hubbard after Hubbard missed two games in Weeks 5 and 6 and didn’t look back. Dowdle ran for 1,076 yards and six touchdowns, while Hubbard managed 511 yards and one touchdown. The receiving game saw rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan take over and win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after finishing with 70 catches for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns. Behind him, the talent dropped off, as the next three receivers didn’t match McMillan’s output: Jalen Coker, Xavier Legette, and tight end Tommy Tremble combined for 1,006 yards and eight touchdowns.
The defense was led by its secondary as cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Michael Jackson combined for nine interceptions and 27 pass deflections. The duo made life hard for opposing quarterbacks to find an open receiver. The defensive front seven also made things difficult, as defensive tackle Derrick Brown and linebacker Nic Scourton each had five sacks, leading the team. EDGE D.J. Wonnum also had three sacks, along with safety Tre’von Moehrig.
2026 offseason
Key additions: LB Jaelan Phillips, LB Devin Lloyd, LT Rasheed Walker, QB Kenny Pickett, RB A.J. Dillon, TE Darren Waller
Key losses: DT A’Shawn Robinson, C Cade Mays, RB Rico Dowdle, EDGE D.J. Wonnum, QB Andy Dalton (trade)
2026 NFL Draft picks
Round 1: OT Monroe Freeling
Round 2: DT Lee Hunter
Round 3: WR Chris Brazzell II
Round 4: CB Will Lee III
Round 5: C Sam Hecht
Round 5: S Zakee Wheatley
Round 7: LB Jackson Kuwatch
Coming off their first divisional crown since 2015, the Panthers didn’t want to waste their opportunity to improve. They beefed up the defense with linebackers Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd—a pass rusher who can get in the backfield and a coverage linebacker who can create turnovers. They also got more help on offense, signing left tackle Rasheed Walker to a one-year deal to fill the void left by Ikem Ekwonu while he recovers from a torn patellar tendon. After trading Andy Dalton at backup quarterback, they brought in Kenny Pickett and upgraded at backup tight end with Darren Waller.
With running back Rico Dowdle leaving in free agency, the Panthers signed A.J. Dillon to add valuable depth at the position alongside Hubbard and Jonathon Brooks. The Panthers lost two of their starters to the Lions in center Cade Mays and Wonnum, while defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In the draft, the Panthers got some help everywhere. They drafted right tackle Monroe Freeling in the first round to compete for the starting job. They replaced Robinson with defensive tackle Lee Hunter in the second, then added wide receiver Chris Brazzell II in the third to boost the offense. The defense got most of the attention in the remaining picks, adding depth at linebacker and in the secondary, while drafting center Sam Hecht to be their new backup.
2026 season thus far (1-2)
Week 1: Lost to Chicago Bears, 59-37
Week 2: Defeated Atlanta Falcons, 34-3
Week 3: Lost to Cleveland Browns, 21-18
Stats:
- 5th in points scored, 26th in points allowed
- Overall DVOA: 12th (15th on offense, 17th on defense, 4th on special teams)
This season has been a bumpy ride for the Panthers. In their opening contest against the Chicago Bears, they put up 37 points on offense, but their defense couldn’t stop the Bears from scoring 59. Then, against a lesser opponent with a third-string quarterback starting for the Atlanta Falcons, the Panthers’ defense clamped down and held them to just three points, while their offense stayed on par with the previous week. In Week 3, Carolina took a step back both ways, getting held to under 20 points for the first time this season and failing to stop the Browns offense.
Overall, the offense is doing a solid job, especially Young. He’s leading the NFL in passing yards (939) and tied for fifth in passing touchdowns (seven). His improved receiving corps has been crucial, and Young is really growing as a player and finally becoming the quarterback the Panthers envisioned.
After losing his starting job last season, Hubbard has bounced back well, rushing for 184 yards, averaging 4.5 yards per carry, and scoring a touchdown. He’s also one of Young’s favorite threats in the passing game, getting nine catches for 77 yards and two touchdowns. Speaking of receiving, Coker leads the team in receiving yards (222) and catches (18) and is tied with Hubbard and Waller for touchdowns (2). Waller has also assisted Young greatly in the passing game with 10 catches for 112 yards. With McMillan gaining more attention, it’s opening doors for others to make plays and having opposing defenses worry about them.
Losing two starters on the offensive line has made life a little difficult for Young, who has been sacked seven times so far this season. With both tackles, Taylor Moton and Ekwonu, on either NFI or PUP, they’re relying on Walker and Freeling to carry the weight. Walker has been about average according to PFF, posting a 70.6 pass-blocking grade, while Freeling is a bit behind (61.3 pass-blocking grade) and has been tagged for allowing two sacks, most out of any of the five linemen.
On defense, there are a lot more problems on that side of the ball. Carolina is dead last in the NFL in rushing yards allowed (580), yards per carry allowed (5.7), and is tied with the Green Bay Packers for the most rushing touchdowns allowed (six). Their linebackers are doing the heavy lifting, leading the team in sacks and interceptions. Philips is tied with Princely Umanmielen for most sacks with two, while Lloyd leads the team with two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown. If the defense can’t figure out its run defense soon, it’ll be a big reason it can’t repeat as divisional champions.
Injury notes
Key players ruled out: RB Jonathon Brooks (IR), LB Nic Scourton (IR), RT Taylor Moton (NFI), LT Ikem Ekwonu (PUP), DT Tershawn Wharton (PUP), CB Jaycee Horn (quad), G Damien Lewis (UCL)
Key players to monitor: WR Xavier Legette (knee), WR Jalen Coker (quad/ankle), LB Devin Lloyd (calf), S Nick Scott (rib), CB Mike Jackson (groin), QB Bryce Young (lower body)
This is the first team that Detroit faces that has already been hit hard by the injury bug, and it’s only Week 4. Multiple starters will miss this game on both sides of the ball, and the list of players whose status is up in the air is long. Starting with the players missing the game, Carolina has Brooks and Scourton on IR, with Moton on NFI and Ekwonu and defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton on PUP. Horn left Week 3 with a quad injury, and he’s expected to miss multiple weeks. On Tuesday, NFL Network Mike Garafolo reported that guard Damien Lewis would miss the game due to a UCL injury, taking another hit to the Panthers’ offense.
Heading into Week 3, the team was without Lloyd, Legette, and safety Nick Scott, so their Week 4 statuses are unknown. During the Browns game, more people got injured outside of Horn, as Jackson left the game with a groin injury. Coker left the game with a quad injury, and he also entered the game with an ankle issue. Now the receiving corps faces depth challenges, and the secondary may have to rely on a young, inexperienced group to slow down the Lions’ aggressive passing attack.
The biggest injury news to watch is Young. He visited the blue medical tent in Week 3, but never missed a snap. He is getting imaging and diagnosis on a lower-body injury this week, so if he can’t go, then Pickett would get the start.
Biggest strength: Passing attack
With Young off to a great start, he’s been the main reason this team showed fight in their losses and dominated in their win. He’s tied with Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford for the most 20+ yard completions with 13. He’s tied for fourth with three 40+ passing-yard plays. His ability to throw the ball in big chunk plays and come away with success could be a huge problem for this Lions defense.
His receiving corps is also starting to grow and become more reliable. Adding Waller to the tight end room has been a smart move by the Panthers, giving them a veteran who knows where to be. Coker is on pace for a career-high season now that he’s a full-time starter, which takes pressure off McMillan to do it all. Young’s best receiver before McMillan was Adam Thielen, and no disrespect to Thielen, but he isn’t a true number one receiver in the NFL. As the weapons increase and become more productive, Young is growing and helping move this offense in a positive direction.
Biggest weakness: Run defense
As I mentioned earlier, the Panthers’ run defense is rough. According to PFF, they have the eighth-worst run defense grade (55.2), and when you pair that with the sixth-worst tackling grade (46.7), it gets even worse. Only three players have an above-70 run defense grade: linebacker Tyrel Dodson (76), defensive lineman Aaron Hall (75.9), and safety Zakee Wheatley (74.5).
Some of the team’s struggles have been dealing with scrambling quarterbacks; after three straight, facing a more pocket passer in Lions quarterback Jared Goff could ease the pressure. The problem is this week, they play Jahmyr Gibbs at running back, and he’s one of the best they’ve seen so far. Against Atlanta, they contained running back Bijan Robinson to 72 yards on 16 carries (still 4.5 YPC), so they can limit the damage, but that was after allowing the Bears to combine for over 200 yards on two running backs.
Key matchup: Lions offense vs. Panthers defense
So far this season, the Lions have averaged 31 points and haven’t been able to overcome that number. 31 points a game isn’t something to scoff at, but it feels like this offense hasn’t truly hit its stride yet. They’re down only their starting center and backup running back, so the main pieces are still there; it just hasn’t been consistent.
Facing off against a Panthers defense that can’t seem to slow down the ground game is asking for a big day in Gibbs. The injured Panthers secondary also helps Gibbs: Goff can target them, and Detroit’s veteran starters may face backups with limited experience. A young secondary and a struggling run defense could see Detroit outdo what Chicago did to Carolina in Week 1.
The biggest battle will be at tight end and linebacker. If Lloyd can play, he’s been an excellent coverage linebacker, and getting matched up with tight end Sam LaPorta won’t be easy. LaPorta has been doing well since returning from his back injury last season, and Goff certainly likes to look his way through three games. Detroit’s best defense has been its offense, and with the Panthers’ offense not far behind, if the Lions’ offense stumbles, they could permanently fall behind in a shootout.
Vegas line for Sunday: Lions favored by 3.5
