Bryce Young, Tetairoa McMillan Lead Panthers Past Lions 32-26/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Bryce Young threw for 329 yards and connected with Tetairoa McMillan for two touchdowns as Carolina defeated Detroit 32-26 Sunday night. McMillan recorded 14 catches for a career-high 192 yards, while Chuba Hubbard added 122 rushing yards and two scores. The injury-hit Panthers improved to 2-2 after stopping the Lions’ final possession despite Jared Goff’s 412-yard passing performance.
Quick Look
- Final score: Carolina beat Detroit 32-26, leaving both teams at 2-2.
- Young’s performance: Bryce Young completed 29 of 41 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns.
- McMillan’s breakout: Tetairoa McMillan caught 14 passes for a career-high 192 yards and two scores.
- Ground support: Chuba Hubbard rushed 20 times for a season-high 122 yards and two touchdowns.
- Detroit’s offense: Jared Goff passed for 412 yards and a touchdown to Sam LaPorta.
- Decisive stop: Carolina prevented Detroit from gaining a first down on its final drive.
- Next games: Detroit visits Arizona next Sunday; Carolina has a bye before traveling to Philadelphia on Oct. 18.
Deep Look
Young and McMillan Turn Practice Concerns Into a Winning Performance
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina coach Dave Canales entered Sunday night with some concern after Bryce Young and Tetairoa McMillan struggled to connect on certain passes during practice.
Their performance against Detroit quickly put those worries aside.
Young completed 29 of 41 attempts for 329 yards and two touchdowns, both to McMillan, as the Panthers overcame a week of injuries to defeat the Lions 32-26.
McMillan finished with 14 receptions for a career-high 192 yards.
“Everything just clicked tonight,” McMillan said. “There were some plays throughout the week that we may not have hit on, but (offensive coordinator) Brad Idzik called the plays and Bryce trusted it. He made good throws and we converted. I can’t tell you what happened tonight. Maybe it was just the Charlotte air.”
Young’s Confidence Pays Off With Receivers Sidelined
Young said the practice difficulties never weakened his confidence in McMillan. Fans responded to the quarterback’s performance with “M-V-P! M-V-P!” chants during the fourth quarter.
“I know what kind of player he is. He’s special,” Young said. “I always trust him. I have confidence in him and I know one (bad) practice isn’t going to change that.”
Carolina was missing two of its top three receivers, Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette, leaving Young especially reliant on McMillan, the 2025 Offensive Rookie of the Year.
McMillan delivered immediately, collecting nine catches for 147 yards before halftime, including a 32-yard touchdown.
McMillan Approaches Panthers Receiving Records
McMillan joined Steve Smith Sr. and Patrick Jeffers as the only Panthers players to record at least 10 receptions, 150 receiving yards and two touchdowns in a single game.
His totals also brought him close to two franchise records: Christian McCaffrey’s 15 receptions and Smith’s 201 receiving yards.
Young, the first overall selection in the 2023 draft, entered Week 4 leading the NFL in passing yards. He completed his first 11 passes against Detroit, helping establish Carolina’s offensive rhythm.
Hubbard Gives Carolina Balance on the Ground
Chuba Hubbard complemented the passing attack with his strongest rushing performance of the season.
He carried 20 times for 122 yards and two touchdowns, helping Carolina score on six consecutive possessions after punting on its opening drive.
The combination of Hubbard’s running and Young’s connection with McMillan allowed the Panthers to sustain drives and put pressure on Detroit’s defense.
Goff Throws for 412 Yards as Lions Stay Within Reach
Jared Goff passed for 412 yards and one touchdown for Detroit, while Jahmyr Gibbs contributed 77 yards from scrimmage and scored his seventh touchdown of the season.
Despite those contributions, the Lions did not consistently display the explosiveness they had shown during their first three games.
Detroit nevertheless recovered from McMillan’s dominant first half to reach halftime tied 16-16.
Jameson Williams caught a 49-yard pass down the middle against Carolina’s depleted secondary, setting up a Jake Bates field goal that leveled the score.
The Panthers had lost starting cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson to injuries last week that were expected to sideline them for eight weeks.
Panthers Hold Off Detroit’s Late Comeback Attempt
Detroit struggled to stop Carolina’s offense after halftime as Young repeatedly found McMillan open.
The Lions narrowed the deficit to 32-26 with 3:38 remaining on Goff’s touchdown pass to Sam LaPorta.
McMillan answered with a toe-tapping catch along the right sideline for a first down, allowing Carolina to keep the clock running. However, a sack eventually ended the possession and forced the Panthers to punt.
Detroit began its final drive at its own 13-yard line with 2:12 left but failed to gain a first down. Young then took two kneel-downs to secure Carolina’s victory.
“We got ourselves in a hole there, which is frustrating,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “At the end of the day, we had our opportunities. Our defense came up with a stop and we had the ball with about with two minutes left to go win the game. And we just couldn’t get it done.”
Injuries Add to Both Teams’ Concerns
Detroit cornerback Rock Ya-Sin left during the second half with a hamstring injury.
Carolina rookie right tackle Monroe Freeling, the team’s first-round draft pick, injured his knee in the third quarter and did not return.
Panthers linebacker Jaelan Phillips exited in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury. Canales had no postgame update on Freeling or Phillips.
Coker was inactive because of a quadriceps injury.
Carolina Heads Into Bye Week as Detroit Visits Arizona
The Panthers will have a bye next week before visiting Philadelphia on Oct. 18, giving their injured roster additional recovery time.
The Lions travel to Arizona next Sunday.
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