Heading Into Week 3: The Carolina Panthers By The Metrics
There’s nothing like being a Carolina Panther fan. This team is electric, with a “family” energy, and the organization genuinely loves its players. “Keep Pounding” isn’t just a saying. It’s a lifestyle for the Carolinas. Though with all of the positive attributes as a team, the Carolina Panthers are mostly known for not performing the best on the field.
The Panthers haven't had a winning record since 2017. This occurred when Cam Newton was in a Panthers jersey, for his second stint. A lot of work still needs to be done for this team to get back on track now in the 2025/26 NFL season with Bryce Young at the helm.
Even with a 0-2 record heading into Week 3, the Panthers are ranked 10th in the league in overall passing yards with 482. Young hasn’t played very well thus far in the season; however, with receivers like Tetairoa McMillian, Hunter Renfrow, and Xavier Legette, there’s still much to desire for the offense.
More specifically, the Panthers’ DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) metric is currently sitting at -42.6%, which is second-worst ranked in the NFL. This stat analyzes every NFL team based on each completion on downs, especially on 3rd-and-2 scenarios.
Ever since entering the league, many football fans have questioned Bryce’s level of play due to his size and his potential to become the leader of an NFL team. Despite this, Bryce keeps a smile on his face and a chip on his shoulder. His level of play has been up and down these past two seasons. Yet, the underdog that Bryce is will continue his pursuit of being the quarterback of the Carolina Panthers for the immediate future.
Speaking of Renfrow, the connection with him and Young in the Panthers’ 27-22 loss (which resulted in a 1-yard reception touchdown) was in the top 20 of Improbable Completions with a 26.6 completion probability percentage. Though the game ended the way any fan of the Panthers wanted, that metric is a nice touch to obtain.
Going into his fifth year, Chubba Hubbard has been the star RB for this team. Last season, he ran for a career-high of 1,195 yards with 10 touchdowns to his name. Up to this point in the season, Hubbard claimed 95 yards, still pounding on the field as much as he can within the offense. An interesting stat amongst Hubbard’s play is his 27-yard reception TD in the Week 1 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, which was in the "Incredible YAC” list of yards after the catch.
Comment your thoughts on Carolina’s play thus far this season, and for all the Panther fans, share this article to discuss!