Is Carolina For Real? 3 Takeaways From Panthers' High-Scoring Win Over Lions

If you're a fan of offensive battles, then you must have enjoyed Sunday night's Detroit Lions-Carolina Panthers game. The Panthers improved to 2-2 thanks to a dominant performance from wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, defeating the Lions 32-26. Both offenses logged over 440 yards in a matchup that felt like no one could be stopped by the time the fourth quarter rolled around. However, Carolina was able to make a pair of fourth-down stands on Detroit's final two possessions of the game, sealing the win. Here are my takeaways from the Panthers' impressive win over the Lions. When Carolina put up 37 points in Week 1, it was overshadowed by their defense giving up 59 to the Bears in the same game. A 34-3 rout of the Falcons validated that in Week 2, and Sunday night's 32-26 win over the Lions allows us to appreciate how well Bryce Young is playing in his third season with Dave Canales. Young's connection with second-year receiver Tetairoa McMillan was the centerpiece against Detroit - the two connected 14 times for 192 yards and two touchdowns (on 16 targets, no less). Add in a solid 120 rushing yards for Chuba Hubbard, and the Panth ers were over 400 yards of offense in improving to 2-2 on the season and, for a day at least, sole possession of first place in the NFC South. Carolina has already picked up Young's fifth-year option for 2027, so there was a commitment in place, but games like Sunday will put Young in the $50 million-a-year club, and arguably ahead of his draft-class contemporary, Houston's C.J. Stroud. Consider his four-year passing numbers, going from 11 touchdown passes as a rookie to 15 in his first year with Canales to 23 last year and now on pace for 38 (!) in 2026. The team single-season record is 36, thrown by Steve Beuerlein in 1999, two years before Young was born. For all the excitement about the Lions getting back to playoff form this season, their defense has been a major liability, literally giving up more points than any defense in the league. The Lions went into Sunday night giving up 31.7 points per game. The Panthers topped that midway through the fourth, putting them on track to have one of the worst scoring defenses ever. At 31.8 points allowed per game, the Panthers are on pace to allow the third-most points per game in NFL history. And the Lions were ranked 31st in three key categories entering Sunday: total defense (416 yards per game), third-down defense (56 percent) and red-zone defense (90%). Detroit can point out that defensive backs Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch are still out with injuries, but its problems run deeper than that. Carolina's resounding win is all the more impressive considering how many key players it was missing Sunday night. The Panthers put both starting corners - Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson - on injured reserve this week, meaning they won't have either for at least four games, but Akayleb Evans stepped up in a big way in his first start in two years, with nine tackles. The Panthers were also without two solid receivers in Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette, but that didn't stop Young from throwing for more than 300 yards. Backups Brycen Tremayne and John Metchie, who had combined for six catches in the first three weeks, had five for 69 on Sunday. And Carolina had to play without guard Damian Lewis, with second-year pro Corey Bullock getting his first NFL start and playing without penalty. Carolina won't get healthy anytime soon, but their schedule has a run of middling teams that aren't nearly as difficult as they seemed going into the season - their next three are at the Eagles, home against the winless Buccaneers and at the Packers, with a tough game against Denver after that. The NFC South is very much wide-open, so Carolina's chances of repeating look more promising if it can continue to win while playing at less than full strength.