CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Bryce Young completed 29 of 41 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns to Tetairoa McMillan, who had 14 catches for a career-high 192 yards, and the Carolina Panthers overcame an injury-filled week to beat the Detroit Lions 32-26 on Sunday night.
Chuba Hubbard ran 20 times for a season-high 122 yards and two touchdowns as the Panthers (2-2) scored on six straight possessions after punting on their opening drive.
With two of his top three wide receivers in Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette out with injuries, Young leaned heavily on McMillan, and the 2025 Offensive Rookie of the Year responded in a big way.
McMillan had nine catches for 147 yards in the first half, including a 32-yard touchdown. He joined Steve Smith Sr. and Patrick Jeffers as the only Carolina players with at least 10 receptions, 150 yards receiving and two touchdown in a game and came one reception and 9 yards receiving shy of matching franchise single-game records.
Jared Goff threw for 412 yards and a touchdown to Sam LaPorta for Detroit (2-2) and Jahmyr Gibbs added 77 yards from scrimmage and scored his seventh touchdown of the year.
Young entered Week 4 leading the league in yards passing and the No. 1 overall pick in 2023 started by completing his first 11 passes.
The Lions were able to overcome McMillan’s big first half and tie the game before the break. Jameson Williams hauled in a 49-yard reception down the middle against an injury-depleted Carolina secondary that lost starting cornerback Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson to injuries last week.
That set up Jake Bates’ field goal to make it 16-all.
But Detroit’s defense couldn’t get off the field in the second half and Young repeatedly found an open McMillan.
Even after the Lions cut the lead to 32-26 with 3:38 left in the game on LaPorta’s TD catch, McMillan made a toe-tapping reception along the right sideline for a first down that kept the clock moving.
Still, the Lions had a chance to win the game on their final drive, which started at their own 13 with 2:12 remaining. But Goff couldn’t pick up a first down and Young knelt down twice to end it.
Injuries
Lions: Cornerback Rock Ya-Sin left in the second half with a hamstring injury.
Panthers: Rookie right tackle Monroe Freeling, the team’s first-round draft pick, injured a knee in the third quarter and did not return. Coker was inactive with a quadriceps injury. Linebacker Jaelan Phillips left in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury.
Up Next
Lions: At Arizona next Sunday.
Panthers: Will have a chance to heal up with a bye next week before visiting Philadelphia on Oct. 18.
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