Detroit
Lions
2-1
14
FINAL
21
Carolina
Panthers
1-2
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a tightly contested matchup, the Carolina Panthers narrowly defeated the Detroit Lions 21-14 in Week 4 of the 2026 season. With both teams looking to establish momentum early in the season, this victory was crucial for the Panthers as they aim to solidify their playoff aspirations.
Bryce Young led the charge for Carolina, throwing for 2 touchdowns and guiding his team to a critical win. Chuba Hubbard was a force on the ground, racking up 93 rushing yards, while the Lions' Jared Goff put up impressive numbers with 282 passing yards, but it wasn’t enough to secure the victory. Amon-Ra St. Brown shined as well, accumulating 135 receiving yards for Detroit, showcasing his big-play ability throughout the game.
Defensively, the Lions were anchored by Sonny Styles, who recorded 10 total tackles and an interception, but it was the Panthers' ability to limit big plays that proved decisive. The turning point came late in the second half when Carolina intercepted a crucial pass, allowing them to maintain their lead and ultimately secure the win. Aidan Hutchinson contributed with a sack, but the Panthers' defense held firm when it mattered most, preserving their victory.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jared Goff | QB | 40 | 22 | 55% | 282 | 1 | 0 | 85.6 |
| Bryce Young | QB | 27 | 18 | 67% | 253 | 2 | 1 | 105.9 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 16 | 93 | 5.8 | 43 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | HB | 16 | 46 | 2.9 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Jonathon Brooks | HB | 10 | 25 | 2.5 | — | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| Bryce Young | QB | 5 | 21 | 4.2 | — | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| Jared Goff | QB | 3 | 13 | 4.3 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Jameson Williams | WR | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Xavier Legette | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Darren Waller | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| De'Zhaun Stribling | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonnu Smith | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isiah Pacheco | HB | 1 | -3 | -3.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | WR | 9 | 135 | 15.0 | 46 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Xavier Legette | WR | 6 | 106 | 17.7 | 65 | 2 | 70 | 0 |
| Jameson Williams | WR | 7 | 93 | 13.3 | 18 | 0 | 26 | 1 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 4 | 68 | 17.0 | 15 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Darren Waller | TE | 4 | 55 | 13.8 | 25 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Jonnu Smith | TE | 2 | 28 | 14.0 | 12 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Jalen Coker | WR | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Sam LaPorta | TE | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 6 | 1 | 13 | 0 |
| De'Zhaun Stribling | WR | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Mitchell Evans | TE | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | HB | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonny Styles | MIKE | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Rodney Thomas II | FS | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zakee Wheatley | FS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Lee III | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tre Hawkins III | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah Simmons | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tre'von Moehrig | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alim McNeill | DT | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aidan Hutchinson | LEDG | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nic Scourton | LEDG | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Jackson | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Brown | DT | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jaycee Horn | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaelan Phillips | REDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devin Lloyd | MIKE | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Christian Wilkins | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Moore | REDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Art Green | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dee Winters | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyleik Williams | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Damone Clark | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyler Owens | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Cross | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chau Smith-Wade | CB | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Princely Umanmielen | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Scott | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kelvin Joseph | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Izien | SS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Fitzgerald | K | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Jake Bates | K | 2 | 2 | 0 | 51 |
| Jack Fox | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

