4 critical observations from the Carolina Panthers' loss at Lions in Week 5
By Luke Gray
What were some critical observations from another inept reverse for the Carolina Panthers in Week 5 at the Detroit Lions?
It is now official - the Carolina Panthers are the league's only remaining winless team - and that doesn’t seem likely to change anytime soon. The Chicago Bears' triumph on Thursday Night Football coupled with an almost inevitable defeat at Ford Field saw to that.
And with a trip to South Beach to face the offensive juggernaut that is the Miami Dolphins upcoming, 0-6 seems an almost certainty.
It was another disappointing afternoon for Reich and frankly, the game was over after the Panthers went down 14-0 early. The Detroit Lions set the tone when they marched down the field in just three plays before Carolina’s abysmal run defense was gassed by David Montgomery for a score.
Carolina continued its record of giving up at least 135 rushing yards and two touchdowns in each game as the Lions racked up 159 on 30 carries as well as getting into the end zone three times.
Rookie quarterback Bryce Young had his first multi-touchdown game and finished with a passer rating of 82.1. While it was positive to see three throwing scores, two of those came in garbage time with the Lions in prevent defense and his two first-half interceptions critically turned the game further in the hosts' favor.
It’s hard to find much to be positive about currently. The Panthers are by a distance the worst team in the league and without a first-round pick in 2024. Fans expected some growing pains after the improvements under Steve Wilks, but this team should not be 0-5 and pressure is already growing on Reich.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Dolphins are an incredible 14.0-point favorite for the Week 6 clash - a damning indictment on the state of the Panthers.
With all that said, let’s break down four critical observations from a chastising Week 5 for Carolina.