Detroit
Lions
1-2
33
FINAL
27
Carolina
Panthers
1-2
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling matchup in Week 4 of the 2026 season, the Detroit Lions narrowly defeated the Carolina Panthers, with a final score of 33-27. The stakes were high as both teams sought to establish momentum early in the season, but it was the Lions who emerged victorious in a hard-fought contest.
Bijan Robinson was the standout for Detroit, racking up an impressive 243 rushing yards, showcasing his explosive ability on the ground. Patrick Mahomes kept the Panthers competitive with a solid performance, throwing for 224 yards and two touchdowns, but it wasn't enough to secure the win. Quentin Johnston also had a notable game for Carolina, leading all receivers with 102 yards, keeping the pressure on the Lions' defense.
Defensively, the Lions made crucial plays that shifted the momentum, particularly with Jaycee Horn's two interceptions that halted Carolina's drives at critical moments. Alohi Gilman's six tackles for Carolina kept their defense in the mix, but it was Detroit's ability to create turnovers that ultimately determined the outcome. The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Horn's second interception set up a game-sealing touchdown for the Lions, solidifying their triumph on the road.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes | QB | 28 | 17 | 61% | 224 | 2 | 2 | 80.0 |
| Justin Herbert | QB | 13 | 11 | 85% | 114 | 1 | 1 | 96.7 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 33 | 243 | 7.4 | 54 | 4 | 22 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 10 | 112 | 11.2 | 18 | 1 | 68 | 0 |
| Jadarian Price | HB | 11 | 52 | 4.7 | 18 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Justin Herbert | QB | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| DeMario Douglas | WR | 1 | -5 | -5.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quentin Johnston | WR | 5 | 102 | 20.4 | 34 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| DeVonta Smith | WR | 4 | 64 | 16.0 | 35 | 2 | 23 | 0 |
| Troy Franklin | WR | 2 | 57 | 28.5 | 26 | 1 | 49 | 0 |
| Chris Bell | WR | 1 | 20 | 20.0 | 9 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 4 | 20 | 5.0 | 17 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Romeo Doubs | WR | 3 | 18 | 6.0 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| T.J. Hockenson | TE | 3 | 18 | 6.0 | 16 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Adam Trautman | TE | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Jadarian Price | HB | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Alec Pierce | WR | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Mo Alie-Cox | TE | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nakobe Dean | MIKE | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Jaycee Horn | CB | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Alohi Gilman | FS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Roquan Smith | MIKE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Julian Love | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Byron Murphy Jr | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Harold Landry III | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kobie Turner | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dadrion Taylor-Demerson | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Odafe Oweh | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| John Franklin-Myers | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Donte Jackson | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Yaya Diaby | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James Pierre | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Germaine Pratt | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Trey Hendrickson | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Folorunso Fatukasi | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Leo Chenal | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Curtis Jacobs | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DaQuan Jones | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lewis Cine | SS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Mike Jackson | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eddy Pineiro | K | 2 | 2 | 3 | 42 |
| Joey Slye | K | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |

