Lions vs. Panthers: 2 injured corners leave huge hole
Detroit has scored exactly 31 points in each of its three games, and the Lions vs. Panthers matchup on Sunday, Oct. 4, sends that offense to Charlotte, N.C., to face a Carolina secondary without either starting cornerback. The Lions (2-1) and Panthers (1-2) kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC from Bank of America Stadium.
Carolina placed Jaycee Horn (quadriceps) and Mike Jackson (groin) on injured reserve Wednesday, ruling both out for at least four games, The Associated Press reported. Both were hurt in last week’s 21-18 loss at Cleveland. Akayleb Evans and rookie Will Lee III are expected to start in their place, with Chau Smith-Wade at nickel, and Lee is in line for his first career start, according to CBS Sports. Total Apex Sports covered the moves when both Panthers starting cornerbacks went to injured reserve.
Lions vs. Panthers kickoff, TV and series history
- Date: Sunday, Oct. 4
- Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
- Venue: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.
- TV: NBC
- Series: Panthers lead 8-4 and are 6-1 at home against Detroit; the Lions won the last meeting 42-24 on Oct. 8, 2023
Lions vs. Panthers weather: The AccuWeather forecast posted on ESPN’s game page calls for 66 degrees and a 70 percent chance of precipitation at kickoff.
Goff, Gibbs and a Detroit attack that keeps producing
Detroit beat New Orleans 31-30, lost 41-31 at Buffalo and beat the New York Jets 31-24. Jared Goff has completed 77 of 109 passes for 802 yards and eight touchdowns without an interception. CBS Sports notes that only six quarterbacks in NFL history have reached 800 passing yards, eight touchdown passes, no interceptions and a completion rate of 70 percent or better through three games.
Jahmyr Gibbs leads the ground game with 307 yards and four touchdowns on 65 carries, and Amon-Ra St. Brown has 23 catches for 228 yards and five scores, per ESPN. Yahoo Sports noted the Lions rank eighth in the league in passing yards (247.7 per game) and third in passer rating (116.1).
A leaky Lions defense with a strong pass rush
The other side of the ball has been a problem. Detroit has allowed 95 points, a league-high 31.7 per game, according to ESPN’s standings. Cornerback D.J. Reed (ribs) and guard Ben Bartch (foot) are questionable on ESPN’s injury list, while center Cade Mays (wrist fracture), safety Thomas Harper (ankle) and cornerback Avonte Maddox (foot surgery) are on injured reserve. Mays signed with Detroit in March, as Total Apex Sports reported at the time.
The pass rush has carried the unit. The Lions have 12 sacks, second only to Minnesota’s 14, and CBS Sports reported they are the first team in franchise history with four players at two or more sacks through three games. Aidan Hutchinson leads the group with 3.5.
Bryce Young’s hot start and Carolina’s banged-up receivers
Carolina enters Lions vs. Panthers after a bumpy start: a 59-37 home loss to Chicago, a 34-3 rout of Atlanta and the loss at Cleveland. Bryce Young leads the NFL with 939 passing yards and has seven touchdown passes and two interceptions on 72-of-121 passing. Chuba Hubbard has 184 rushing yards and a touchdown on 41 carries.
The receiving corps is hurting, too. Jalen Coker, the team leader with 18 catches for 222 yards and two touchdowns, has a quadriceps strain that could keep him out Sunday, according to the AP, and ESPN lists him as questionable. ESPN lists Xavier Legette (knee) as doubtful.
Defensive tackle Lee Hunter (foot) and offensive tackle Monroe Freeling (concussion) are questionable, and guard Damien Lewis (elbow) is out, per ESPN. Linebacker Devin Lloyd is expected back after a calf injury cost him the Cleveland game, CBS Sports reported.
Sam LaPorta vs. Devin Lloyd could swing it
The tight end matchup may matter more than any other in Lions vs. Panthers. LaPorta has 14 catches for 144 yards and a touchdown, and tight ends have found room against Carolina. Cleveland tight end Harold Fannin Jr. had seven receptions for 51 yards and two touchdowns last week, including the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter, per CBS Sports. Lloyd’s return should help in coverage, but if the Panthers need extra safety help over the top for their backup corners, LaPorta could find space underneath.
Gibbs and a rookie corner under the spotlight
Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Lions
Gibbs is averaging more than 100 rushing yards per game. The Panthers have contained an elite back once already: in their 34-3 win in Week 2, they held Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson to 81 yards and kept him out of the end zone, according to CBS Sports.
Will Lee III, CB, Panthers
The fourth-round rookie steps into the lineup with Horn and Jackson sidelined. His first start comes in a prime-time Lions vs. Panthers game against a quarterback who has not thrown an interception all season and a receiver, St. Brown, with five touchdown catches.
Division stakes in the NFC North and NFC South
The Lions vs. Panthers result carries division weight for both teams. Detroit is tied with Chicago for second in the NFC North, one game behind unbeaten Minnesota. Carolina is in a three-way tie with New Orleans and Atlanta for first in the NFC South at 1-2. A Panthers upset would get them back to .500 heading into their Week 5 bye. Carolina’s defense has forced seven takeaways, second in the league, per CBS Sports, so ball security matters for a Lions offense that has protected it well. For more around the league, see the latest NFL coverage.
Carolina’s last playoff run ended in January, when the Rams beat the Panthers in the wild-card round.
Reporting from CBS Sports, Yahoo Sports and The Associated Press contributed to this Lions vs. Panthers preview. Statistics, standings and injury designations: ESPN.