The Carolina Panthers could have gone into the toughest part of their 2026 schedule with a two-game win streak and all the momentum in the world. All they had to do was beat the lowly Cleveland Browns on Sunday—but they could not get the job done.
More than anything else, Carolina lost in Cleveland yesterday because they got beat at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. While they got plenty of pressures on Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, the defense was able to convert very few of them into hits and sacks.
It was much worse offensively, where the Panthers got dominated when they tried to run and when quarterback Bryce Young dropped back to pass. Young was sacked three times and had to throw away quite a few balls to avoid taking
more.
As a result, Young had his worst game of 2026, at least statistically—totaling 291 passing yards, one touchdown, one interception and a 70.7 passer rating.
According to NFL.com's recap of Week 3's games, Young took a step backwards this week:
Young takes step back without favorite target... Young was unsettled for most of the afternoon and was frequently subjected to crushing blows delivered by Browns pass rushers. He appeared to tweak his leg early in the contest but played through it, battling to put together drives that largely ended in field goals. In the most crucial moment, Young briefly found his form of the previous two weeks, going 3 for 3 for 42 yards and a go-ahead touchdown. The final two possessions, however, saw more of the same struggles -- missed targets under pressure, hesitance to throw. The Panthers will need their quarterback to be better going forward than he was Sunday, but they also need to protect him better.
Tough crowd, especially given the context—which they did mention. Wideout Jalen Coker had to leave the game early with a quad injury and Tetairoa McMillan got shut down by star cornerback Denzel Ward—leaving Young with very limited options to throw to. Brycen Tremayne did his part with a game-high 83 receiving yards, but no other receiver stepped up.
More importantly, Young did not get the help he needed from his offensive line. Per NFL Next Gen Stats, he was pressured on 51 percent of his dropbacks in the 21-18 defeat.
Heading into Week 4, Young is still leading the league in passing yards. If they could resolve their pass protection issues, just think what this Panthers offense could be capable of.
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: NFL analyst says Panthers QB Bryce Young took a step back in Week 3
