Heading into tonight's prime-time matchup between the Carolina Panthers and the Detroit Lions, the visitors are favored by a few points. However, there are at least a couple of positive trends for the hosts going in.
According to The Athletic, the Panthers have covered the spread in 12 straight games following a loss. They also have their starting quarterback Bryce Young playing the best football of his pro career—even if you stretch his current run back to the last game of the 2025 campaign.
David Bearman writes:
The Panthers QB leads the NFL in passing yards through three weeks, is fifth in touchdowns thrown and tied for No. 1 in the NFL in average depth of target at 10.5 yards. He has 250 or more yards in all three games this season and in four
straight regular-season games dating back to 2025.
What hope there is for an upset lies almost exclusively on the shoulders of Young. Carolina's defense has been decimated by injuries all year—with starting cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson, who were placed on injured reserve earlier this week, now headlining the list.
Meanwhile, the Panthers' wide receiver corps is also far from full strength. Xavier Legette (knee) also hit the shelf on Saturday and Jalen Coker is reportedly unlikely to play. Plus, their offensive line has also been bitterly disappointing so far this season.
The good news is that the Lions are allowing more passing yards per game than any other team, and they've been particularly vulnerable against tight ends—which have been more involved in Brad Idzik's offense than any previous play-caller for Carolina in a long time. If Young can get into a rhythm with Darren Waller, Tommy Tremble and Mitchell Evans like last week, it just might be enough to win a shootout.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: 2 promising trends for Panthers going into SNF vs. Lions
