The Panthers Have Looked Bad vs. Bills, But Here's The Important Takeaway

The Carolina Panthers looked totally outclassed by the Buffalo Bills during the first half. The Panthers left their first-team offense out for three series versus two for the Bills and Josh Allen, and it was night and day.

Even on defense, where the Panthers' pass rush was excellent, the rest of the unit was porous. Devin Lloyd was the only linebacker playing well, and the secondary could not cover anyone- first- or second-team.

It was an ugly showing, and it was the first time we saw meaningful players on the field. Panic is sure to spill over into the fan base, but there's one thing that bears remembering after that ugly half.

The Panthers are still rebuilding, and the Bills are not

Buffalo Bills wide receiver DJ Moore (2) tries to avoid a tackle by Carolina Panthers defensive back Zakee Wheatley | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The first half was massively disappointing for the Carolina Panthers, but it's important to remember it's preseason. It is for the Buffalo Bills, too, which is where the important fact comes in. They're just a much better, deeper team.

Jake Delhomme made the point that the Buffalo Bills have had a strong, Super Bowl-caliber roster for the better part of the last 5-6 years.

Their depth is much better than a team like Carolina, which is still growing/building as an organization. Something to keep in mind during…
— Jared Feinberg (@Jared_NFLDraft) August 15, 2026

Jake Delhomme, a Panthers legend, pointed this out, and our friend Jared Feinberg posted it online. The Bills have been at a playoff/Super Bowl level for over half a decade. The Panthers limped into a premature playoff berth last year after an eight-year drought. These two teams are not in the same situation.

This compounds when some players don't play. The Panthers missed Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis on offense, and the backup guards couldn't stand up against the Bills' starters or backups. Because the Bills are deeper after building a competent team for a long time.

When Derrick Brown sits, the Panthers' backup defenders can't slow down James Cook and Ray Davis. And then when backups begin filtering, there's still a talent disparity. The Panthers have really only recently recovered from the decimation of the Bryce Young trade, so the depth just isn't there.

Would this be such a conversation if the Panthers hadn't made the playoffs last year? Because remember, they won eight games and were -69 on the season. In any other division, that's a middling finish and no playoff berth.

So, yes, the Panthers need to look better. But the first caveat is that it's preseason, and the kinks are being worked out. The second and bigger caveat is that this team has not had years to compile a deep, playoff-level roster.

Fortunately, these games don't count for anything and are all about reps for backups and roster hopefuls to fight for a spot. Getting the starters action is important, too, but winning isn't everything here.

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