Lions at Panthers
Detroit Lions 28, Carolina Panthers 21 · 2020LG
Final Score
Lions 28 4 TD · 0 FG · 4 XP
Panthers 21 2 TD · 0 FG · 3 XPMatthew Stafford 293 yds passingChristian McCaffrey 102 yds rushingJosh Gordon 98 yds receivingTre Boston 7 tkl defenseTotal yards 366 · 356Passing yards 293 · 237Rushing yards 73 · 119Completions 21/39 · 17/29Yards per carry 2.9 · 4.6Recap
Franchise Hub Beat · 3d ago
In a thrilling matchup in Week 4 of the 2026 season, the Detroit Lions defeated the Carolina Panthers 28-21, solidifying their position in the playoff race. The victory was crucial for Detroit as they aim to maintain momentum in a competitive NFC landscape.
Matthew Stafford turned in a stellar performance for the Lions, throwing for 293 yards and three touchdowns, showcasing his leadership and precision. Meanwhile, Christian McCaffrey kept the Panthers in contention with a strong rushing performance, racking up 102 yards on the ground. Josh Gordon also made significant contributions, leading Carolina with 98 receiving yards.
Defensively, the Panthers struggled to contain Stafford, but Tre Boston's seven tackles and Tahir Whitehead's sack provided some bright spots. The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when the Lions’ defense stifled a potential game-tying drive, forcing a turnover on downs and securing the victory. With this win, Detroit continues to build on their strong start to the season.
Box Score
| Player | C/A | PCT | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | ||||||
| Matthew StaffordQB | 21/39 | 54% | 293 | 3 | 0 | 103.8 |
| Panthers | ||||||
| Cam NewtonQB | 17/29 | 59% | 237 | 2 | 0 | 107.9 |
| Player | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | |||||||
| Leonard FournetteHB | 14 | 53 | 3.8 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| Jason HuntleyHB | 5 | 14 | 2.8 | 14 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Kenny GolladayWR | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| D.J. Chark JrWR | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Dede WestbrookWR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kerryon JohnsonHB | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Quincy EnunwaWR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Matthew StaffordQB | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Panthers | |||||||
| Christian McCaffreyHB | 19 | 102 | 5.4 | 52 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Corey GrantHB | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Cam NewtonQB | 4 | 7 | 1.8 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Jordan ScarlettHB | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Josh GordonWR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D.J. MooreWR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | |||||||
| Quincy EnunwaWR | 1 | 70 | 70.0 | 68 | 1 | 70 | 0 |
| D.J. Chark JrWR | 6 | 69 | 11.5 | 12 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Kenny GolladayWR | 5 | 58 | 11.6 | 3 | 1 | 24 | 0 |
| Dede WestbrookWR | 1 | 56 | 56.0 | 44 | 1 | 56 | 0 |
| Leonard FournetteHB | 6 | 23 | 3.8 | 13 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| T.J. HockensonTE | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Panthers | |||||||
| Josh GordonWR | 4 | 98 | 24.5 | 53 | 1 | 53 | 0 |
| D.J. MooreWR | 4 | 95 | 23.8 | 74 | 1 | 72 | 0 |
| Paul Richardson JrWR | 3 | 20 | 6.7 | 9 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Ian ThomasTE | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Chris ManhertzTE | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Alex Armah JrFB | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Christian McCaffreyHB | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Player | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | |||||
| Jamie CollinsSAM | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeff OkudahCB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Randy GregoryREDG | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tracy WalkerSS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Darryl RobertsCB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Duron HarmonFS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Damon Harrison SrDT | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C.J. MooreFS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian JonesWILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jayron KearseSS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike FordCB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Desmond TrufantCB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Danny SheltonDT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Romeo OkwaraREDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Will HarrisSS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick OnwuasorMIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Margus HuntDT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Panthers | |||||
| Tre BostonFS | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jason McCourtyCB | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tahir WhiteheadSAM | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeremy ChinnSS | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Eli AppleCB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Emmanuel OgbahLEDG | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kawann ShortDT | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yannick NgakoueREDG | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devin McCourtyCB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Malcolm JenkinsSS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Montez SweatLEDG | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Andre SmithMIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shaq ThompsonMIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Player | FG | XP | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | |||
| Josh LamboK | 0/0 | 4 | 0 |
| Panthers | |||
| Joey SlyeK | 0/0 | 3 | 0 |