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NFL analyst hails Panthers' dominant offensive line in Week 3

The Panthers entered last Sunday’s clash with the Falcons looking for their first win of 2025. The team’s revamped offensive line stepped up in a big way.
Russell Baxter|
Sep 21, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) calls a play while center Cade Mays (64) readies to snap the ball during the second half of a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images
Sep 21, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) calls a play while center Cade Mays (64) readies to snap the ball during the second half of a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers

It’s safe to say that Dave Canales’s team had its back against the wall last Sunday. The Carolina Panthers were off to a 0-2 start, with road losses at Jacksonville (26-10) and at Arizona (27-22). The team would host the rival Atlanta Falcons, who were coming off an impressive 22-6 victory at Minnesota in which Raheem Morris’s racked up six sacks.

The latter point was significant considering that during the loss to the Cardinals, the Panthers lost starting center Austin Corbett and 2023 Pro Bowl right guard Robert Hunt. The duo would eventually wind up on injured reserve. Enter replacements in Cade Mays and Chandler Zavala. It’s worth noting that the former started eight games at the pivot in place of an injured Corbett in 2024.

Who would have expected Canales’s team to not only pitch a 30-0 shutout, but Carolina’s makeshift front to come up with a solid performance?

Falcons’ offensive line stepped up in a big way vs. Falcons

The longtime NFL analyst was not the only one impressed by a unit that helped Carolina run for 110 yards, allow only one sack, and help the Panthers win the time of possession battle (31:58).

“Sunday proved to be a strong day for the Panthers in pass protection,” explained Thomas Valentine of Pro Football Focus, “especially against a Falcons defense that has started the season hot. Bryce Young was pressured on just 29.6 percent of his drop backs, as Carolina surrendered just six total pressures and a sack—which was on a blitz pickup by Rico Dowdle. The Panthers’ starting offensive line yielded just five pressures as a unit, with center Cade Mays earning an 83.1 PFF pass-blocking grade across a clean sheet.”

We will soon find out if last Sunday’s performance vs. the Falcons was an anomaly or a sign of things to come from this refurbished blocking unit. The Panthers hit the road for the third time in four weeks as they clash with the New England Patriots on Sunday at Foxborough.

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Russell Baxter
RUSSELL BAXTER

Russell S. Baxter has been writing and researching the game of football for more than 40 years, and on numerous platforms. That includes television, as he spent more than two decades at ESPN, and was part of shows that garnered five Emmy Awards. He also spent the 2015 NFL season with Thursday Night Football on CBS/NFLN.