After surrendering a franchise-record 59 points in their season-opening loss to the Chicago Bears, the Carolina Panthers needed someone on defense to step up in Week 2. And while the entire unit undoubtedly answered the call, there was one player who stood out above the rest.
That was inside linebacker Devin Lloyd, who tied for a game-high nine tackles while posting a sack and two interceptions—one of which he brought back for a touchdown—on Sunday. Lloyd's offering helped propel the Panthers to their first win, a 34-3 thrashing of the Atlanta Falcons, here in 2026.
Head coach Dave Canales was asked about Lloyd's dominant game.
"I don't know if I've seen a better performance out of a linebacker in 17 years of coaching in the NFL," Canales replied.
"It's attributed to his study, being in the right spots.
"And then of course, I didn't realize his hands were that good. The slant that he picked off there at the end was incredible and the run after catch on the first one. One of the most dominant linebacker performances I've seen."
The Panthers, hoping to finally patch up the longstanding woes in the middle of their defense, signed Lloyd to a three-year, $42 million pact this offseason. The 2022 first-round pick was fresh off a career year with the Jacksonville Jaguars, having been selected to his very first Pro Bowl in 2025.
Lloyd returned his first interception for 53 yards. His dash off the second one ended in a 16-yard score to give Carolina their 34-3 edge late in the third quarter.
He also led Carolina in tackles last week, recording 13 takedowns in the defeat to Chicago. Through two games, Lloyd is up to 22 tackles to go with the sack and pair of picks.
As a whole, the Panthers notched five takeaways—and six if you include a turnover on downs—while holding the Falcons to 286 total yards.
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers HC Dave Canales gives LB Devin Lloyd utmost praise for incredible Week 2 performance
