Panthers Can't Afford to Make These 4 Mistakes Against Lions

I still think the Panthers should be 2-1. Maybe that's why the Cleveland loss bothers me as much as it does. Carolina had the lead late, had chances to finish it, and didn't.

Now Detroit is coming to town, and there are a few things from Sunday that I really don't want to see again. Some of them have been problems for more than one week, too. If Carolina wants to get back to .500, these are the four I'd start with.

Offense

1. Stop Settling for Field Goals

Ryan Fitzgerald kicked four field goals against Cleveland, and it's nice knowing Carolina has a kicker it can trust. I just don't want to see him that much. The Panthers moved the ball and finished with 360 yards, so getting down the field wasn't really the problem.

The problem was getting close and then coming away with three points. Carolina didn't score a touchdown until late in the fourth quarter, and when you lose 21-18, it's hard not to look back at all those field goals. One of those drives ending in seven instead of three might change the whole game.

At some point, three has to become seven.

2. Take Some Pressure Off Bryce Young

Bryce Young threw the ball 48 times Sunday, and I still don't like that number. Chuba Hubbard had 82 yards on 19 carries, and I've been asking for more Hubbard for a couple of weeks now. The running game took a while to get going against Cleveland, but once it did, I would've liked to see Carolina lean on it a little more.

Young was also pressured on 51 percent of his dropbacks against Cleveland. The offensive line has had its problems, and we've already talked about Monroe Freeling and Luke Fortner. Asking Young to throw it 48 times behind a line that's having trouble protecting him doesn't make much sense to me.

Run the football more and make things a little easier on him. I'm not saying take the ball out of Young's hands, but he shouldn't have to do everything either. I'd like to see Carolina lean on Hubbard a little more and see where that gets them.

Defense

Jaycee HOrn — Sep 27, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Raheim Sanders (23)avoids a tackle by Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn (8) during the fourth quarter at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

3. Figure Out the Quarterback Runs

I've already written about this one, so I'm not going to spend another 500 words on it. Caleb Williams ran for 65 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1, and Deshaun Watson added another 45 yards Sunday. That's 110 rushing yards from two quarterbacks in two games.

Once, I can probably live with it, especially when the first guy is Williams. But then Watson turns around and does it two weeks later, and now I'm paying attention. I don't know if the answer is a spy or changing how Carolina rushes the passer, and I'm not going to pretend I do.

That's Ejiro Evero's job.

I just know teams are going to keep trying it. If I'm playing Carolina and my quarterback can run, why wouldn't I? The Panthers haven't shown yet that they can stop it.

4. Finish the Game

This is the one that bothers me the most. Carolina was up 18-13 with less than five minutes left against Cleveland. The defense had a chance to end it and couldn't, and then the offense got the ball back with another chance after Cleveland scored.

That ended with Bryce Young's interception. I'm not putting the entire loss on him or the defense because both sides had their chances. That's really what bothers me about it.

Somebody has to finish that game.

I'm not saying everything is wrong with this team. Carolina beat Atlanta 34-3 and was in position to win on the road in Cleveland. That's actually why Sunday's loss was so frustrating.

The Panthers are getting themselves into position to win games. Now they have to actually win them when they're there. Against Detroit, I'm not sure how many chances they're going to get.

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