Detroit
Lions
0-3
69
FINAL
45
Carolina
Panthers
3-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a high-octane showdown, the Detroit Lions topped the Carolina Panthers with a final score of 69 to 45, marking an explosive Week 4 of the 2026 season. With both teams vying for momentum early in the season, the Lions showcased their offensive prowess to secure a decisive win.
Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs led the charge with an astounding 284 rushing yards, dominating the ground game and finding the end zone frequently. On the other side, Panthers quarterback Bryce Young put up impressive numbers, throwing for 414 yards and five touchdown passes, but ultimately his efforts fell short against Detroit's relentless offense. Tetairoa McMillan also had a standout performance for Carolina, racking up 240 receiving yards to keep the pressure on the Lions.
Defensively, the Lions made crucial plays that shifted the game's momentum. Aidan Hutchinson was a force up front, notching two sacks, while Brian Branch made his presence felt in the secondary with two interceptions, both of which were pivotal in halting Carolina's scoring drives. The turning point came late in the third quarter when Branch's second pick set up another touchdown for Detroit, pushing the lead to an insurmountable margin.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce Young | QB | 28 | 18 | 64% | 414 | 5 | 3 | 107.7 |
| Jared Goff | QB | 18 | 12 | 67% | 290 | 3 | 1 | 126.1 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jahmyr Gibbs | HB | 19 | 284 | 14.9 | 32 | 5 | 72 | 0 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 5 | 35 | 7.0 | 9 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Jared Goff | QB | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Trevor Etienne | HB | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Xavier Legette | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Darren Waller | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jameson Williams | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris Brazzell II | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 10 | 240 | 24.0 | 101 | 2 | 57 | 1 |
| Jameson Williams | WR | 5 | 147 | 29.4 | 98 | 2 | 76 | 0 |
| Darren Waller | TE | 7 | 129 | 18.4 | 71 | 2 | 80 | 0 |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | HB | 2 | 73 | 36.5 | 71 | 1 | 48 | 0 |
| Tyler Conklin | TE | 2 | 55 | 27.5 | 47 | 0 | 39 | 0 |
| Chris Brazzell II | WR | 1 | 45 | 45.0 | 25 | 1 | 45 | 0 |
| Sam LaPorta | TE | 2 | 9 | 4.5 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | WR | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Branch | SS | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Aidan Hutchinson | LEDG | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| L'Jarius Sneed | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Chau Smith-Wade | CB | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tre'von Moehrig | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kerby Joseph | FS | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyleik Williams | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaycee Horn | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Brown | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jackson Kuwatch | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devin Lloyd | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| D.J. Reed | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bobby Okereke | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Nick Scott | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Izien | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lee Hunter | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah Simmons | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Mike Jackson | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyrel Dodson | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Thomas Harper | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Malcolm Rodriguez | SAM | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Bates | K | 2 | 2 | 9 | 58 |
| Jack Fox | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ryan Fitzgerald | K | 1 | 1 | 6 | 32 |

