9 Biggest Takeaways from Sad Carolina Panthers Preseason Loss to Buffalo Bills

The Carolina Panthers put on an ugly display in their first preseason game with meaningful players involved. They were crushed by the Buffalo Bills, but despite the bad result, there were some positives. Of course, there were negatives, too.

The pass rush might be just fine

Princely Umanmielen and Jaelan Phillips with great pass rushes on back-to-back plays, force the Bills FG.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) August 15, 2026

How's Jaelan Phillips going to fare? How will the Panthers replace Nic Scourton? These questions and more plagued the pass rush coming in, but everything looked just fine. Phillips was predictably difficult to block, and he and Princely Umanmielen combined to bring down Josh Allen. The starters and backups had a really solid day.

The secondary still needs work

Last week, we were very concerned with how the secondary performed, but those were backups. This week, the mainly starting secondary was bad, too. DJ Moore and Khalil Shakir gave the cornerbacks and safeties fits during their time on the field. Perhaps it's Ejiro Evero's zone scheme that just isn't working.

Ejiro Evero might have to adapt

Carolina Panthers cornerback Mike Jackson (2) talks with defensive coach Ejiro Evero | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ejiro Evero hasn't really had good players to run his system with, so it might not have been fair to criticize it before. Now, he has the players, and the zone scheme still doesn't seem to be working as advertised. Receivers are open, and running backs get big bursts before running into a defender at all.

Devin Lloyd is legit

Pretty swell debuts for Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd.

Phillips, in nine snaps, produced back-to-back pressures and a sack.

Lloyd, in 12 snaps, produced three tackles (one for loss) and a QB pressure, per Next Gen Stats.

Plus, two pressures for Princely Umanmielen in nine…
— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) August 15, 2026

We spoke about Jaelan Phillips, but the other Panthers newcomer was excellent, too. Devin Lloyd was all over the field, making a tackle for a loss, two other tackles, and added a QB pressure. His well-rounded game was on full display in a very short amount of time on the field.

Pump the brakes on Jonathon Brooks

Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (25) during Fanfest | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jonathon Brooks has had an excellent camp, and he has been the recipient of a steamrolling hype train. It might be time to pump the brakes on that. Out with the starters, Brooks was underwhelming, to say the least. He couldn't make much of a dent on the ground, and he didn't do anything special through the air.

Dave Canales may have learned from his mistakes

They're in there. https://t.co/QEh4f5pJm9
— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) August 15, 2026

Dave Canales famously pulled the starters for poor play in a preseason game last year, and he always seems to play them too little to get the reps they need for the regular season. At least for one game, he seems to have learned, as he left them in despite the rough performance.

Discipline issues reared their ugly head

The Panthers, under Dave Canales, have been pretty disciplined. They're one of the least-penalized teams. However, at times, often the worst times, penalties have been problematic. They were today, as over half the positive things the team did were negated by flags.

QB2 competition isn't over

Carolina Panthers quarterback Kenny Pickett (12) warms up before a pre-season game | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

We were all (fairly) quick to crown Haynes King the new backup. And while he didn't get the chance to respond because he didn't play, Kenny Pickett was more than good enough to reassert himself in that role. The competition is far from over.

Trevor Etienne is making the roster

Trevor Etienne is gonna make this team with his receiving ability. They are spotlight that now. #Panthers
— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) August 15, 2026

Trevor Etienne has always been meh as a runner and solid as a returner, and that hasn't changed this year. But the Panthers have decided to use running backs in the passing game more, and Etienne is a great receiver out of the backfield. That was on full display, and he might've earned a surefire roster spot.

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