Carolina Panthers at Detroit Lions: Young gets 3 TDs, but Panthers blown out in Motown
The Carolina Panthers got knocked out quickly Sunday. All of their hopes for a first win of the season and a first career win for QB Bryce Young were extinguished early in a 42-24 win for the Lions that was easy as it sounds.
Carolina, the only winless team in the NFL, fell to 0-5. Afterwards, Panthers coach Frank Reich said his message to his team was simple.
“Keep pounding,” Reich said. “You get to this position and no one envisioned this, so this is the embodiment of keep pounding. The only way you do that is if you believe it will make a difference. Otherwise, you just check out. We’ve got to go back in and try to have our best week of work. I think it’ll make a difference. I believe our players will do that.
“It’s hard when you’re 0-5..”
Carolina gave up the most points since last year’s 42-21 debacle in Cincinnati, and the Panthers had trouble all game dealing with a Detroit offense that seemed to move the ball at will. Goff threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns. David Montgomery ran 19 times for 109 yards and a score.
Detroit scored easily on its first possession, covering 81 yards in three plays. Then Detroit got the first of three first-half turnovers, including two interceptions of Young, who finished with 247 yards and three touchdown passes.
The Lions (4-1) turned those turnovers into a 28-7 lead as quarterback Jared Goff was given time and had a big first half, including a flea-flicker touchdown pass to tight end Sam LaPorta.
Carolina (0-5) had a few good moments in that decisive first half, including a long drive which Young finished by hitting tight end Tommy Tremble with his third touchdown pass of the season. But the Panthers also lost starting offensive lineman Chandler Zavala, a rookie from N.C. State, who was carted off the field with a neck injury. Zavala was taken to a local hospital where he did have movement in his limbs. He ended up traveling back to Charlotte with the team Sunday night.
By halftime, the Lions led 28-10, and were in complete control.
The third quarter was quiet, with the teams trading punts. But Detroit’s third possession of the third quarter ended at the Panthers’ doorstep. On the first play of the fourth, Goff ran in from the 1, getting a rushing touchdown to go with three passing touchdowns. And that, pretty much, was that.
For the Panthers, their offensive woes continued: protection was poor, receivers won’t often open and the run game — while accounting for 99 yards on 23 carries — didn’t make much of a dent.
In four games with Bryce Young as the starter, Carolina has scored 54 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter Sunday when the Lions were playing soft coverage. Andy Dalton led Carolina to 27 points in a loss to Seattle last month when Young was injured.
Other past No. 1 picks have also struggled, however. Pittsburgh’s Terry Bradshaw started 0-3 as a rookie with five interceptions and no touchdown passes. Peyton Manning was 0-4 with three touchdowns and 11 interceptions (though he finished with 3,737 yards, 26 touchdowns and set five NFL rookie records). Goff was 0-7 as a rookie with five touchdowns and seven interceptions in his first seven games.
▪ Photos from the game: scroll down for a complete photo gallery
STAT STUFFERS
Bryce Young, Panthers: rookie QB had his moments, but was often under heavy duress. He was sacked four times, but completed 25-of-41 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns. He was intercepted twice.
Adam Thielen, Panthers: veteran receiver caught 11 passes for 107 yards, with a long of 30. Jonathan Mingo caught five for 48.
Jared Goff, Lions: Goff was sharp from the start. He had time to throw and open guys to target. He finished 20-of-28 for 236 yards and three touchdowns.
Vonn Bell, Panthers: led the Carolina defense with nine total tackles, including four solo. Sam Franklin Jr. had seven solo tackles among his eight.
WHAT’S NEXT
Carolina (0-5) plays at Miami (4-1) next Sunday at 1 p.m. on CBS. The Lions (4-1) will play at Tampa Bay (3-1) at 4:25 p.m. next week on Fox.
NFL scoreboard
Fourth-quarter highlights
LIONS 42, PANTHERS 24: Young gets third TD pass of game
4:06 p.m.: With Detroit playing soft defense, Carolina managed another drive, which was aided by a roughing penalty that moved the ball to the Lions 4. On fourth and goal at the 1, Bryce Young threw his third touchdown pass of the game to Adam Thielen. It was Thielen’s 11th catch of the game.
LIONS 42, PANTHERS 17: Lions get another long drive
3:49 p.m.: Craig Reynolds ran over the middle of a weary-looking Panthers defense, polishing off a seven-play, 75-yard drive. Carolina has now given up a season-high in points.
LIONS 35, PANTHERS 17: Panthers get strong drive
3:38 p.m.: After Detroit extended to its largest lead, Carolina answered with a 75-yard drive, aided by a roughing the passer penalty that got the Panthers to the Lions 18. On the next play, Young threw his second touchdown pass of the game, a dart to DJ Chark.
LIONS 35, PANTHERS 10: Goff’s sneak adds to Detroit lead
3:31 p.m.: Jared Goff got his second rushing touchdown of the season to help Detroit expand the lead. Goff has three touchdowns passing. The drive covered eight plays and 51 yards.
Third-quarter highlights
DETROIT GETS POSSESSION AFTER STRONG STAND
3:19 p.m.: After nearly getting a safety on Panthers QB Bryce Young, the Lions forced a punt from the 1 and got the ball near midfield. To this point, both teams had two second half possessions and both had punted twice.
BURNS’ SACK STOPS LIONS DRIVE
2:57 p.m.: Detroit began the second half with a strong drive, but has a fourth-and-1 at the Carolina 36. A neutral zone penalty on the Panthers extended the drive. Carolina forced another third down, however, and Brian Burns beat Detroit’s Taylor Decker and sacked Jared Goff to force a fourth-and-16 at the Carolina 38. Burns’ play knocked Detroit out of field goal range
Chandler Zavala update: Fox’s Pam Oliver reports Chandler Zavala, the Panthers lineman, is alert in the hospital with movement of his arms and legs.
Second-quarter highlights
LIONS 28, PANTHERS 10: Panthers get late first-half score
2:33 p.m.: A holding penalty on Detroit gave the Panthers a first down at the Lions 15 on a failed third-and-6 pass attempt. After three straight incomplete passes, though, Eddy Piñeiro made a 33-yard field goal with 10 seconds left, to cut Detroit’s lead to 18. The Lions, however, will receive the second-half kickoff.
LIONS 28, PANTHERS 7: Another turnover, more Lions points
2:19 p.m.: After a fumble led to points, QB Bryce Young threw his second interception of the game, trying to hit Jonathan Mingo. Detroit’s Jerry Jacobs, who was guarding tight end Ian Thomas, peeled off for the pick. It was Carolina’s third turnover of the first half.
On the next play, Detroit pulled off a gorgeous trick play. QB Jared Goff hit tight end Sam LaPorta for a touchdown pass — after Goff handed the ball off and the running back pitched it to a receiver, who in turn tossed it back to Goff for a double-reverse pass. LaPorta beat Panthers safety Jeremy Chinn by at least five yards on the play.
LIONS 21, PANTHERS 7: Lions convert another score off turnovers
2:16 p.m.: Detroit took advantage of a short field after the Miles Sanders turnover and converted a fourth-and-1 along the way. Josh Reynolds made a pretty catch in the back of the end zone for a 1-yard score. Detroit QB Jared Goff was 5-of-5 on the drive. Sanders, one of Carolina’s high-profile acquisitions of the offseason, has had a rough start to his first season with the Panthers.
QUICK TURNOVER GIVES LIONS BALL BACK
2:09 p.m.: Carolina stopped Detroit on a fourth and 4 to get the ball at the Panthers 37. Once down 14-0, the Panthers had a real shot for more points, trailing 14-7. But on the next play, after the change of possession, Carolina’s Miles Sanders made a run over the left side and fumbled. Detroit’s Will Harris recovered and the Lions got the ball at the Panthers 38.
LIONS 14, PANTHERS 7: Panthers get on board with long drive
1:56 p.m.: Tommy Tremble caught a 1-yard pass from Bryce Young to end a 75-yard drive that continued after offensive lineman Chandler Zavala went down with a neck injury. Young got his third touchdown pass of the season and the Panthers were back into the game. Young was 6-of-8 on the 14-play drive.
First-quarter highlights
PANTHERS OFFENSIVE LINEMAN DOWN
1:33 p.m.: Carolina rookie lineman Chandler Zavala went down. Cameras cut away from him and Detroit players were waving for medical attention. Players from both teams took a knee as Zavala, who played at N.C. State, was checked out on the field. Zavala was reported to have a neck injury after he collided with Detroit’s Isaiah Buggs, although it wasn’t apparent on replays how he got hurt.
Zavala, 24, gave a thumbs up with his left hand as he was carted off the field about eight minutes later. Per a Carolina Panthers spokesperson, Zavala is being taken to a local hospital in Detroit for further evaluation with a neck injury. He was later reported to be alert and have movement in all his extremities.
(UPDATE: Latest on Chandler Zavala)
▪ On the very next play, Detroit defensive back Emmanuel Moseley went down with a non-contact injury. Moseley had just come back from knee surgery. He walked off gingerly.
LIONS 14, PANTHERS 0: Detroit converts turnover into points
1:28 p.m.: Sam LaPorta caught a short pass from Jared Goff as Detroit cashed in after the turnover. It was Goff’s seventh touchdown pass of the season. Detroit has scored 14 points on eight plays.
LIONS GET TAKEAWAY
1:25 p.m.: After a key third-down conversion, Detroit’s Aidan Hutchinson intercepted Bryce Young while Young was attempting a screen pass to tight end Ian Thomas. Detroit got the ball in scoring position.
LIONS 7, PANTHERS 0: Detroit’s first possession is quick, effective
1:18 p.m.: Carolina moved the ball on its opening possession, reaching the Detroit side of the field, but the Lions quickly moved the ball when they got it, going 81 yards in three plays. David Montgomery, coming off a three-score game, ran 42 yards down the left sideline for an early lead. And the drive looked easy.
Pregame reading
We’ve collected some stories to help get your ready for Sunday’s game:
How the Lions match up with the Panthers: a Detroit breakdown
Pregame injury reports for both teams
Can the Panthers end their losing streak today? NFL experts weigh in
PHOTOS: Panthers at Lions
This story was originally published October 8, 2023 at 12:21 PM.
