The Carolina Panthers picked up a much-needed win in Week 4, taking down the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football.
In one of the most surprising developments of the season so far, the Panthers actually sport the best passing attack in the league. Bryce Young looks better than he ever has, Tetairoa McMillan looks like an elite WR1, and the offense just looks much more fluid with Brad Idzik calling plays.
Young and McMillan both contributed to the win in a major way. McMillan ended up setting new career highs in catches and yards, while Young eclipsed the 300-yard mark again.
Now, let’s see how Pro Football Focus handled grades for this game. We’ll look at the best and worst grades for the offense and defense.
Offense
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Best of Offense
- Tetairoa McMillan, 91.4
- Bryce Young, 89.7
- Robert Hunt, 88.7
- Chuba Hubbard, 86.3
- John Metchie III, 74.9
It’s no surprise that McMillan and Young are leading the way. McMillan had his best game as a pro, while Young had another performance that shows he’s taking a step forward.
It was nice to see Robert Hunt have a great game for once. The guard had been struggling mightily, and the Panthers need more of this from him going forward. Hubbard also had a great game, collecting his first 100-yard game in almost two years.
Finally, John Metchie III had a nice game. The receiver stepped up in Xavier Legette’s absence with three catches.
Worst of Offense
- Stone Forsythe, 42.6
- Luke Fortner, 44.8
- Corey Bullock, 50.0
- AJ Dillon, 51.3
- Ja’seem Reed, 54.3
Three of the Panthers’ starting linemen are on the “worst” list once again, which isn’t ideal. Stone Forsythe was thrust into a starting role due to Monroe Freeling being out, and we saw why he’s a career backup. Same goes for Corey Bullock, who was not good at filling in for Damien Lewis.
It’s probably time to replace Luke Fortner with Sam Hecht. Fortner has now had a horrendous PFF grade three weeks in a row. AJ Dillon and Ja’seem Reed didn’t even see that many snaps, so I’m not reading too much into those grades.
Defense
Best of Defense
- Lathan Ransom, 76.7
- Devin Lloyd, 71.8
- Aaron Hall, 70.1
- Chau Smith-Wade, 68.0
- Zakee Wheatley, 66.2
Considering the number of injuries the Panthers are dealing with, it’s nice to see three defensive backs make this list. If Lathan Ransom keeps playing the way he has been, Nick Scott could be bumped to backup duty.
Devin Lloyd returned after missing Week 3 and showed why he’s so valuable. Aaron Hall continues to be the only impressive defensive lineman, and Chau Smith-Wade and Zakee Wheatley held their own despite not being in the best situations.
Worst of Defense
- Akayleb Evans, 27.4
- Trevis Gipson, 33.4
- TeRah Edwards, 39.1
- Lee Hunter, 40.6
- Bobby Brown III, 46.1
At this point, two or three defensive linemen have atrocious grades every week. The UDFA Hall is the only one who has been consistently solid. Lee Hunter continues to have as underwhelming a rookie season as possible.
Akayleb Evans had one of the worst games you’ll see from an NFL corner. Evans allowed 12 receptions for 208 yards and one touchdown.
