Winners and losers from Panthers' loss vs. Jaguars ft. Dave Canales, Bryce Young

The Carolina Panthers were the big losers of Week 1, failing to even look remotely competitive. They looked like the Panthers of old, with no rhythm, no momentum, and very little positive to take away from the outing. That said, there were some winners (and losers) on an individual level.

Winner: Tetairoa McMillan

The rookie didn't look much like a rookie. He looked comfortable, and most importantly, he was reliable. He made the plays he was asked to, and he was maybe the only pass-catcher who had any sort of semblance of chemistry with Bryce Young.

Loser: Bryce Young

Sadly, that is one of the reasons Young himself is a loser. His pass-catchers didn't help (as usual), but he also didn't help himself. The interception was ill-advised and a bad decision. The fumble was a great play by the defender, but Young also should've gotten down after he started to stumble. There were two throws that probably should've resulted in touchdowns, and they didn't. He also had a pick on a play, trying to avoid a sack that was called back. It wasn't a good throw, but it was a desperation fourth-down heave/flick to try and get something while being hit, so it is what it is.

Winner: Tershawn Wharton

How can a player who got hurt be a winner? Well, the defense went downhill after he left the game, like immediately. The defense looked a little better against the run to start the game, but Wharton's absence really left them with a major, irreparable hole.

Loser: Dave Canales

Dave Canales, for all his strengths, has some glaring weaknesses in his coaching game. His situational management is not great. His playcalling at times feels too safe and not good enough for someone of his caliber. There's no reason that the third drive of the game should involve exclusively short passes because he's not ready to dial anything up.

Idk that I'd ever put this offense in empty on a 3rd or 4th and 1. #Panthers
— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) September 7, 2025

Plus, the offense was so out of synch, and that starts at the top. On the most promising drive of the game, he called a shotgun run and an empty backfield needing one yard. Naturally, it didn't work. That's not ideal. Everything the Panthers do on offense looks so much more challenging than it needs to be.

Loser: Austin Corbett

Austin Corbett had a bad day. His being down the field inexplicably wiped out a great pass and catch from Young to McMillan. But he also had several bad snaps that Young saved. One of them resulted in a sack because Young crept up to audible when Corbett snapped it anyway.

Winner: Jaycee Horn

Jaycee Horn had a pretty good day, rarely getting beat and giving up catches. He was also in on run defense, making a couple of key tackles. But the highlight was an insane one-handed interception in the third quarter when Lawrence went deep for Travis Hunter.

Loser: Xavier Legette

Xavier Legette got a bump in the depth chart thanks to Adam Thielen's trade, and he did nothing with it. He routinely looked like he didn't know where the sideline was and couldn't make some of the plays he absolutely should've. He had a nothing burger in part because he couldn't get his feet inbounds twice.

Winner: Chuba Hubbard

With the lone touchdown on the day, Chuba Hubbard has to be a winner here. But he also looked pretty good when the Panthers could actually run the ball before things got out of hand. He wasn't spectacular, but just being average there is enough to get a win on a day like today.

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