Bryce Young, Panthers trending down after dreadful outing

Dave Canales’s Panthers had some promising moments in the team’s Week 1 preseason loss to the Browns. There were none of those in the recent setback at Houston.

Aug 16, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) scrambles against the Houston Texans in the first quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

There’s one more week of games that don’t count in the standings. The NFL regular season kicks off in the City of Brotherly Love on September 4 when the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys.

So what about what we saw in the latest efforts from the 32 teams in the league? Jacob Robinson and Dianna Russini of The Athletic looked at the teams that were on the rise as well as on the decline after Week 2 of the preseason. The Carolina Panthers made the latter list as their summer time record dropped to 0-2 after an ugly 20-3 loss at Houston. Dave Canales’s club has been outscored a combined 50-13 in their lopsided setbacks to the Browns and Texans.

It was ugly from the get-go for the Panthers last Saturday afternoon. “A defensive holding penalty thankfully negated Bryce Young’s first pass, which was intercepted by the Texans (via Robinson and Russini). It didn’t get any better for the 24-year-old, as Young finished two series without a completion and the Panthers’ starters gained three total yards.”

Aug 16, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales talks with an official during the first quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Carolina Panthers had a problem at Houston on Saturday

Actually, the news was far worse when it came to those first two possessions with Young at the controls. If you take out five yards from that aforementioned penalty, Carolina’s first-team offense was limited to two yards on three plays on its first series, and gained minus-4 yards on three plays on the second series. It added up to minus-2 yards on six plays (opposed to 3 net yards, which includes the penalty yardage).

Young finished the afternoon 0-for-2 on pass attempts, ran once for two yards, and was sacked for an eight-yard loss—all in the first quarter. All told, it really didn’t matter who was at the controls for Canales’s club. The Panthers gained 164 total yards on 46 offensive plays, and Carolina was a mere 1-of-10 on third down conversions.

Canales has already stated that his starter will not play on Thursday night vs. the Steelers. The fun begins for real on September 7 when the Panthers face the Jaguars in Jacksonville.

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