Tetairoa McMillan lone bright spot in comically horrible first half by Panthers

For the second straight year, the Carolina Panthers have come out and laid an absolute egg in the first half of their first game. In their 2024 debut they got blasted by the lowly New Orleans Saints in all three phases. In 2025, they're falling all over themselves against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are hardly a Super Bowl contender.

The issues began with an ugly second quarter INT by Bryce Young, who never appeared to see Foye Oluokun as he stared down Xavier Legette, who got lit up by a defender half his size. Then came the issues covering tight ends, which Carolina's linebackers seem completely incapable of.

After a lengthy lightning delay the Panthers had a chance to reset and come out with a different energy, but instead they picked up right where they left off and continued tumbling down the cliff.

To recap just one awful drive, Austin Corbett threw several off-target snaps and then was called for a downfield penalty. Xavier Legette forgot to drag his toe by the sideline, negating what would have been a huge catch. Then, Bryce Young scrambled and lost a fumble after not getting down in time before he got hit.

The Jaguars lead Carolina 20-3 at halftime, and the lone bright spot has been the performance of rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.

Bryce Young beats the free runner by getting the ball out quickly. He already showed a ton of trust with Tetairoa McMillan in the preseason and it shows up again here on 3rd down. pic.twitter.com/cT2HUk36mb
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) September 7, 2025

Tetairoa McMillan with the 1st down against Travis Hunterpic.twitter.com/OTTfPXDSzo
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) September 7, 2025

McMillan leads the Panthers with two catches for 23 yards. He would have had another big completion but it got called back by a penalty.

Overall, it's clear this roster still has a lot of holes - especially on the back end of their defense. However, the greater issue is that they just don't look well-coached. Almost nobody out there appears to know what they're supposed to be doing.

If one or two or three players have an ugly half, that's on them. If the entire team plays like slop, you can only point the finger at the coaching staff. Dave Canales and defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero have time to turn this around, but right now they appear to be in over their heads.

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