Panthers earn passing grade despite second straight loss

Dave Canales's team nearly pulled off a big-time comeback at Arizona on Sunday, but a loss is still loss. One NFL analyst refused to flunk the Panthers.

Sep 14, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals linebacker Baron Browning (5) reaches for Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) during the first quarter at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

For the fourth consecutive season, the Carolina Panthers are off to a 0-2 start. Last week, for the second straight Sunday, Dave Canales’ team trailed an opponent 20-3 after two quarters. In Week 1, Bryce Young and company finally reached the end zone late in the fourth quarter in an ugly 26-10 setback. Last Sunday against the Cardinals at Arizona, Canales’s club nearly came all the way back from a 27-3 third-quarter deficit by scoring the final 19 points of the game.

Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports gave out his grades for Week 2 of the NFL season. Although the Panthers came up short for the second consecutive Sunday, this time by a 27-22 score, Canales’s club was given a C grade for its performance.

Panthers earn mediocre but passing grade despite loss to Cardinals

“For three-and-a-half quarters,” explained Benjamin, “the Panthers squarely looked like one of the worst teams in the NFL, almost totally incapable of pushing the ball with Bryce Young at the controls. Then Young found new life, zipping the rock with precision to drag Carolina all the way back into contention. A successful onside kick even threatened to lift the Panthers over Arizona at the close. In the end, the turnovers were too much to offset.”

Sep 14, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals linebacker Josh Sweat (10) tackles Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) during the first quarter at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Those turnovers came on Carolina’s first two possessions. Young was sacked and fumbled and the Cards wound up returning the miscue for a touchdown. The third-year quarterback served up an ugly interception the next time his team had the football, and that led to an Arizona field goal.

The Panthers have their home opener this Sunday against their NFC South rivals from Atlanta. The team needs to take that late-game momentum into this crucial divisional contest vs. the Falcons and avoid another sluggish start.

- Enjoy more free Panthers coverage with Carolina Panthers on SI - 

Panthers studs & duds from a frustrating Week 2 loss to the Cardinals

Takeaways from the Panthers’ heartbreaking road loss to Cardinals

Cowboys signing Panthers’ 2024 sack leader Jadeveon Clowney

2026 NFL draft: Panthers linked to difference-making star safety