There is One Major Silver Lining From Panthers' Preseason Loss

Carolina's preseason loss was ugly, except for one facet of the team

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The Carolina Panthers' first real preseason game was a disappointing effort. There's no getting around the obvious struggles that multiple units on the team dealt with throughout the game.

The starting offense was atrocious. There's really no other way to put it. QB Bryce Young finished the game 3-for-5 for 18 yards and 1 sack. RB Jonathon Brooks was the player everyone wanted to see after years of dealing with injuries, and he finished with 3 carries for 5 rushing yards and 1 reception for 9 yards

The cherry on top of the offensive struggles was the fact that neither Tetairoa McMillan nor Jalen Coker had a single target. Not just 0 receptions, 0 targets. It's important to keep in mind that this is just preseason, and no targets for the top two receivers will never happen in the regular season.

All things considered, Carolina's second preseason game was a dud, but there was one positive to take away from the loss.

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NFL.com's David Ely released his article on what we learned from every preseason game that took place this past weekend. Ely, of course, highlighted the new additions on defense and was completely correct in doing so.

If there are any positives to look towards from Carolina's preseason loss to the Bills, it's EDGE Jaelan Phillips and ILB Devin Lloyd. Both players were brought in to bolster this Carolina defense and create a unit with elite talent on all three levels.

Phillips played just 10 snaps, but still made his mark on the game. In limited action, Phillips posted 2 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 pressures. Production like this early in the game is exactly what Carolina expects out of Phillips after signing him to a four-year deal worth up to $120 million.

Inside move by Jaelan Phillips to beat Spencer Brown and pressure Allen pic.twitter.com/oWZPEmUqRx

— Billy M (@BillyM_91) August 15, 2026

Then there's Devin Lloyd, the new Panthers inside linebacker who was second-team All-Pro in 2025. Lloyd played 13 total snaps against the Bills, posting 3 total tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 QB pressure.

The production from both new acquisitions in such little action shows how efficient and reliable they are as defensive players. Phillips' and Lloyd's production was especially a great sign because there are questions about Carolina's offense after such a bad performance.

If there's anything that can help an offense, it's a great defense. While the secondary hasn't looked good in either preseason game, a good pass rush and run defense can mask those flaws.

There are still 27 days till Carolina opens the season at home against the Chicago Bears. The offense has some work to do before they can challenege the Bears, but Carolina doesn't have to worry about their two new stars on defense.