Photo: Cassie Baker / Carolina Panthers
Things did not go as planned for the Carolina Panthers in their second preseason contest of the summer against the Buffalo Bills. Dave Canales’ squad found themselves on the wrong end of a 29-14 score. A Carolina touchdown by John Metchie III with 20 seconds left in the game salvaged the score from being a blowout.
Bryce Young got his first snaps of live action in preparation for the 2026 season, albeit very limited playing time. Young finished his day on 3 of 5 passing and 18 yards. He did not have a touchdown or an interception, which has been his kryptonite in first quarters. Young’s short time on the field did not give any indicator that he has truly elevated his game, but neither did it show he can’t handle leading his team. As the preseason progresses, we will likely see him playing more snaps and putting his foot on the gas to prove himself as a true QB1.
Photo: Cassie Baker / Carolina Panthers
On the other side of the ball, the Panthers’ defense showed it has a lot of work to do. Taking on MVP-level quarterback Josh Allen is no easy task for anyone, but Allen doing the damage he did in such little time is still alarming. Allen was 6 of 8 in the air going for 111 yards and a touchdown. The Panthers were able to sack Allen once, which is a small victory for the defense considering how poorly its pass rush is rated after all the injuries.
Even once Josh Allen departed from the game, former Panther Kyle Allen took over under center and also topped 100 passing yards. He went 14 of 16 on pass attempts for 108 yards without turning the ball over.
Carolina’s secondary is the one area on defense that is supposed to be their strong suit, but that did not look like the case on Saturday. This will have to be cleaned up once the regular season rolls around if the Panthers want to compete for another division title.
There are still positives for both the offense and defense of Carolina to take away from Saturday’s loss. For the offense, 14 different players caught passes in the preseason matchup. This may sound normal in a preseason game given so many people are getting looks at real game situations, but this also really shows the Panthers’ willingness to spread the ball around and trust everyone on the field to make plays. Young could have many weapons to work with this season.
While the defense needs to stop the pass a little more efficiently, holding the Bills to 1 of 7 on third downs is wildly impressive. Even if Carolina is giving up some yards, if they can get stops when it matters most, all the mistakes could be forgotten. Panther fans will see if the defense can bend and not break moving forward.
Carolina’s next preseason game is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 21, at 7:30 p.m. EDT against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Florida.
