Two Growls One Roar: A Carolina Panthers Podcast

The Carolina Panthers are coming off their Week 5 bye at 2-2, sitting first in the NFC South, and the team they play next just had a rough Sunday. On today's TGOR Podcast we break down everything Panthers fans need to know heading into the Eagles game.

First up, Bryce Young's bye weekend. Bryce went back to Tuscaloosa as the guest picker on ESPN's College GameDay for Alabama vs. Georgia, sat next to Nick Saban, and heard "MVP" chants from the Bama crowd. On Sunday he signed autographs in Raleigh, where some fans waited as long as 15 hours in line. Through four games Bryce leads the NFL with 1,268 passing yards and has nine touchdown passes, the most in franchise history through four games. Is the MVP talk real, or does Carolina need to stack wins first?

Next, the Marvin Harrison Jr. trade. Arizona sent the former No. 4 overall pick and a 2027 seventh-rounder to the Houston Texans for 2027 second- and sixth-round picks. Carolina was never reported as a suitor, but with Xavier Legette on injured reserve and Tetairoa McMillan carrying the receiver room, we ask whether Dan Morgan should have made a call.

Then the Eagles' loss in London. The Jaguars beat Philadelphia 19-17 on a 57-yard Cam Little field goal with one second left, after Jake Elliott had put the Eagles ahead with eight seconds to go. Philly is now 2-3 with three straight losses, ran for only 22 yards, scored three points in the second half, and lost more players to injury.

We also cover Andy Dalton's release. The Eagles let the former Panthers quarterback go on Friday, seven months after Carolina traded him to Philadelphia for a 2027 seventh-round pick. His only pass of 2026 was an interception, and he's said he plans to make Charlotte home after he retires.

Then the full Eagles preview: Philadelphia's offensive line has lost Lane Johnson to retirement, Cam Jurgens to a trade and Landon Dickerson to injured reserve, while Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith missed London with hamstring injuries. We go through the Panthers' injury list too, including Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson and Legette on IR, and whether this secondary can hold up.

We finish with an NFC South check (Bucs and Saints both 1-4, Falcons on Sunday Night Football) and the rumor mill heading toward the Nov. 10 trade deadline, with every item labeled as fact, reported or speculation.

Your turn: Panthers at Eagles on Sunday, Oct. 18. Does Carolina win in Philly, or do the Eagles snap the skid? Drop your score prediction in the comments.

Subscribe and turn on notifications for daily Panthers coverage.

Follow @TGORPODCAST

Website: twogrowlsoneroar.com

The Carolina Panthers hit the bye at 2-2, and for once the offense is the reason for optimism. On today's Two Growls One Roar podcast, we hand out a bye-week report card, walk through every key injury before the trip to Philadelphia, sort real reporting from speculation in the cornerback trade rumors, and scout a struggling Eagles team.

Under new play caller Brad Idzik, Carolina went from 26th in passing last season to first in the NFL at 301.3 yards per game, and ranks fourth in both scoring (30.3 points per game) and total offense. Bryce Young leads the league with 1,268 passing yards and is on pace for nearly 5,400 yards and 38 touchdowns. Tetairoa McMillan put up career highs of 14 catches, 192 yards and two touchdowns in the 32-26 Sunday Night Football win over Detroit, and Chuba Hubbard added 122 rushing yards and two scores. The defense gave up 412 passing yards to Jared Goff but made two fourth-down stops to close it out.

Then the injury board. Trevor Etienne should be practicing after the bye, and Damien Lewis is expected back. Jaelan Phillips and Monroe Freeling are both listed as hopeful for Philadelphia. Taylor Moton and Tershawn Wharton are still waiting on medical clearance, and Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson are on injured reserve for roughly eight weeks. Xavier Legette is also on IR.

That cornerback hole has the rumor mill spinning ahead of the November trade deadline. We go through the names being floated, make clear which ones are speculation, and talk about whether Dan Morgan should buy. We also touch on the Bryce Young contract, after the team tabled extension talks until after the season.

Next up is Philadelphia on October 18. The Eagles are 2-2, blew a 20-10 fourth-quarter lead to the Rams, went 0-for-12 on third downs in that game, and are dealing with injuries to Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith, Lane Johnson and more. They play Jacksonville in London this Sunday before hosting Carolina. After that, the Panthers host the 0-4 Buccaneers and go to Green Bay on a short week.

We close with an NFC South review. Carolina and Atlanta are tied at 2-2, with the Panthers holding the head-to-head after the 34-3 win. The Falcons rolled the Saints 45-24 on Monday night, New Orleans sits at 1-3, and Tampa Bay is 0-4 for the first time since 2013 with Baker Mayfield out and undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels starting.

Question of the day: is this Panthers team a buyer at the trade deadline? Tell us in the comments.

Subscribe for daily Panthers coverage and follow @TGORPODCAST on X. More at twogrowlsoneroar.com. Two Growls One Roar is on YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Tetairoa McMillan just did something no Carolina Panthers wide receiver has ever done. After a monster Sunday Night Football performance against the Detroit Lions — 14 catches, 192 yards and two touchdowns in a 32-26 win — TMac was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week, the first receiver in franchise history to earn the honor. Not Steve Smith Sr. Not Muhsin Muhammad. Not DJ Moore. TMac.

On today's episode of Two Growls One Roar, we break down everything about TMac's historic week. He became the first player in Panthers history with 10+ catches, 175+ yards and two touchdowns in a single game, tied Christian McCaffrey for the second-most catches in a game in team history, and added the fan-voted FedEx Air & Ground Player of the Week award on top of it. He's the 16th Panther ever to win Offensive Player of the Week and the first since Bryce Young last season. Is year-two TMac already a top-10 receiver in the NFL? We make the case.

We also talk about Bryce Young's hot start. Through four weeks, Bryce leads the NFL in passing yards, has thrown for at least 287 yards in every game, and has a 9-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Is this the best stretch of his career, and is it for real?

Then it's time for the injury report and the timetable for returns. The bye week could not have come at a better time. We go through the latest on Jalen Coker, Trevor Etienne, Taylor Moton, Tershawn Wharton, Damien Lewis, Xavier Legette and Ickey Ekwonu, plus the big one: both starting cornerbacks, Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson, are on injured reserve.

That leads us into the rumor mill. With the secondary thin and Akayleb Evans getting tested against Detroit, should Dan Morgan make a trade for a cornerback? We look at the names being floated, including Joey Porter Jr. and Keisean Nixon, and the in-house options like Will Lee, Chau Smith-Wade and Corey Thornton.

We also check the NFC South standings. The Panthers sit at 2-2 and in first place, holding the tiebreaker over Atlanta after the 34-3 win in Week 2, while Tampa Bay is 0-4. Then we pull up the TGOR Panthers Playoff Simulator, pick every remaining game from Philadelphia to the Week 18 finale against Atlanta, and see what it takes to get Carolina back to the postseason.

We close with your mailbag questions: where TMac's game ranks in Panthers history, who the WR2 is when everyone's healthy, how this defense survives Philly and Green Bay, and our Week 18 record predictions. Lock yours in the comments so we can hold you to it.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

TMac makes Panthers history

Bryce Young is cooking

Injury updates and timetable for returns

Rumor mill: the cornerback problem

NFC South standings and playoff simulator

Mailbag

Subscribe, turn on notifications, and follow us on X @TGORPODCAST. Find more at twogrowlsoneroar.com and on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Keep Pounding.

The Carolina Panthers are on their Week 5 bye, but Dan Morgan's phone isn't. On today's episode of Two Growls One Roar, we break down every roster move, every tryout, and the trade targets that make sense at cornerback and running back before Week 6 in Philadelphia.

We start with the transaction wire. The Panthers waived RB Tre Tyus and released OLB Jeremiah Moon, CB Robert Rochell and OL Isaia Glass from the practice squad. Coming in: CB Marco Wilson, a veteran with 37 career starts, and OLB Nic Hampton, a familiar face from this year's camp. With Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson both on injured reserve, the Wilson signing tells you exactly where the concern is.

Then we run through the full tryout list. TE Devin Culp, LB Cade Denhoff, TE Rivaldo Fairweather (the best football name in the league?), DB Jalen Kimber, LB Dasan McCullough, DB Kobee Minor, former Gamecocks TE Joshua Simon, and DB Ambry Thomas all came through Charlotte. Four of the nine tryouts were defensive backs. That's not a coincidence.

Next up is the cornerback trade board. Joey Porter Jr. is off the market after Pittsburgh sent him to Dallas, so who's left? We make the case for a Donte Jackson homecoming from the Chargers. He's a former Panther, he's on an expiring deal, and he's coming off a four-interception season. We also look at Keisean Nixon, Kristian Fulton, Chidobe Awuzie, Kelee Ringo and the free agent route with Marshon Lattimore and Tre'Davious White.

Then the running back debate. Dave Canales says Trevor Etienne will "for sure" be back after the bye, and a lot of fans want to cross RB off the shopping list. Not so fast. With Jonathon Brooks recovering from core muscle surgery and Tyus gone, Chuba Hubbard is carrying the load. Is Titans RB Tony Pollard, a four-time 1,000-yard rusher on an expiring deal, the insurance policy this team needs for a playoff push? We also run through other names floated in deadline chatter.

Finally, the medical waiting room. Taylor Moton (blood clot) and Turk Wharton (neck) both need medical clearance before they return, though Moton is trending the right way. Canales is hopeful on Jaelan Phillips and Monroe Freeling for Philly. We also cover the rest of the injury report, including Ikem Ekwonu's PUP timeline.

The NFL trade deadline is November 10. Should the Panthers make a move now, and should it be a corner or a running back? Let us know in the comments.

The Carolina Panthers are ready for prime time. In the first Sunday Night Football game at Bank of America Stadium since 2015, the Panthers beat the Detroit Lions 32-26 to even their record at 2-2 heading into the bye week. We're breaking down every stat, storyline and record from a wild night in Charlotte.

Carolina was short-handed coming in. Jalen Coker was inactive, Xavier Legette was on IR, Damien Lewis was out at left guard, and both starting cornerbacks, Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson, were on injured reserve. None of it mattered. Bryce Young completed 29 of 41 passes for 329 yards, threw two touchdowns and no interceptions, and finished with a 110.7 passer rating. Through four games he leads the entire NFL with 1,268 passing yards, and the home crowd let him hear "MVP" chants.

Tetairoa McMillan had the night of his young career: 14 catches, 192 yards and two touchdowns, both career highs. His 9 catches in the first half set a Panthers franchise record for receptions in a half. His 147 first-half yards are the fourth-most in a half in team history, behind only Steve Smith, Ed Dickson and Patrick Jeffers.

Chuba Hubbard added 122 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. Along the way he passed Christian McCaffrey on the franchise rushing list and now trails only Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams among Panthers running backs.

The run defense came into the game ranked dead last, and it held Detroit to 46 rushing yards. Jahmyr Gibbs had been averaging more than 150 scrimmage yards a game and was held to 77. Jared Goff threw for 412 yards, but the Lions turned 452 yards of offense into just two touchdowns. The game came down to the final two minutes. Princely Umanmielen sacked Goff, and then rookie corner Will Lee III and safety Lathan Ransom stopped Detroit two yards short on fourth down to seal the win.

It wasn't perfect. Ryan Fitzgerald missed two extra points. The offense couldn't run out the clock up 13 in the fourth quarter. Bryce was sacked three times and hit 11 times behind a banged-up line. Monroe Freeling (knee) and Jaelan Phillips (hamstring) both left the game and did not return.

In this video:

• Full game recap and scoring summary
• Player of the game: Tetairoa McMillan
• Stat leaders and team stats
• Records and milestones from the win
• Key storylines, including Brad Idzik's best night calling plays
• The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
• Injury watch heading into the bye
• Our TGOR take on where this team stands at 2-2

Next up, the Panthers get a much-needed bye week before visiting the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, October 18.

Drop your thoughts in the comments. Is this the breakout game that makes T-Mac a true WR1? Is Bryce playing like a franchise quarterback? And how worried are you about the kicking game?

For the first time since 2016, the Carolina Panthers are on Sunday Night Football, and they're hosting one of the most dangerous offenses in the league. The Detroit Lions (2-1) come to Bank of America Stadium on Sunday, October 4 at 8:20 PM ET on NBC, and the timing couldn't be worse for Carolina's secondary.

In this Week 4 game preview, we break down everything you need to know before kickoff. Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson both went down in the 21-18 loss in Cleveland, and both are now on injured reserve with a rough eight-week timeline. That leaves rookie Will Lee III, Akayleb Evans and Chau Smith-Wade holding down the corner spots against Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta. The Lions have scored exactly 31 points in every game this season.

On the other side, Bryce Young leads the NFL's top passing offense at nearly 300 yards per game. He threw for 361 yards against Chicago and three more touchdowns in the 34-3 beatdown of Atlanta. The catch: Carolina's offensive line has allowed more pressure than anyone in football, and Detroit's pass rush already has 12 sacks. With Damien Lewis out and Monroe Freeling in the concussion protocol, protection is the storyline nobody wants to talk about but everybody needs to.

Then there's Jahmyr Gibbs. Six touchdowns in three games, 463 scrimmage yards, and a habit of turning one missed tackle into six points. If the Panthers can't keep him in check, Detroit never has to force anything against the backup corners.

We cover:

• The cornerback crisis and what it means for Carolina's pass defense
• Bryce Young's primetime moment and the pass protection problem
• How to slow down Jahmyr Gibbs
• The three matchups that decide this game
• The full Panthers injury report
• Players to watch on both sides
• Four keys to a Panthers win
• Our final score prediction

Vegas has Detroit as a 3.5-point favorite with the total at 50.5. Is this a trap game for the Lions, or does the injury report finally catch up with Carolina? Drop your score prediction in the comments. We read every one.

Two Growls One Roar is fan-first Carolina Panthers coverage, plus the Charlotte Hornets and South Carolina Gamecocks. We're honest when it's good, honest when it hurts, and we cope together either way. Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly" breakdown after the game Monday.

Bryce Young is playing at an elite MVP-caliber level, but mounting injuries across the Carolina Panthers' roster are threatening to derail the season. In this episode of Two Growls One Roar, we dive into the latest injury updates, analyze Dave Canales' offensive adjustments, and break down whether the Panthers can weather the storm ahead of their next matchup.

The Carolina Panthers are 1-2 and banged up heading into Sunday Night Football against the Detroit Lions, and Two Growls One Roar breaks down everything that moved at Panthers HQ this week.

Two days after a 21-18 loss in Cleveland, the injury news came fast. Starting left guard Damien Lewis has a UCL injury in his elbow and is expected to miss a few weeks, including the Lions game. He's getting a second opinion, and the Week 5 bye could keep his absence to one game. Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn suffered what Dave Canales called a significant quad injury and will miss time, with a clearer timeline expected after more tests. Cornerback Mike Jackson's status is still unknown, and Jalen Coker also left Sunday's game.

So who steps in? We project Corey Bullock at left guard, since he replaced Lewis in Cleveland and is the listed interior backup, with newly promoted Torricelli Simpkins III behind him. At corner, Will Lee III is Horn's listed backup and our projected starter. If Mike Jackson can't go, Chau Smith-Wade starts on the other side, and Canales hinted at possible practice squad call-ups in the secondary.

We also go through Tuesday's transactions. The Panthers signed Simpkins, a Charlotte native, from the practice squad and waived linebacker Maema Njongmeta, who forced a fumble in Cleveland. Cam Gill returns to the practice squad for his third stint in about three months, Isaia Glass is back, and guard Chandler Zavala was released. That comes a day after veteran guard Saahdiq Charles rejoined the practice squad, which means three guard moves in 48 hours.

On the positive side, Bryce Young is expected to play despite taking a cleat to the lower body in Cleveland. He finished that game with 291 yards and a touchdown and leads the NFL in passing yards through three weeks. Devin Lloyd, the NFC Defensive Player of the Week after his two-interception game in Atlanta, says he's ready to return from his calf injury. Nick Scott's rib injury looks playable, and Xavier Legette is day-to-day with a knee issue.

We walk through the full Week 4 depth chart position by position, including special teams, and flag who to watch on Wednesday's injury report.

Then it's the Roar Mailbag. We answer your questions on:

• Who covers Detroit with the secondary this beat up
• Whether it's time to panic about the offensive line
• How hurt Bryce Young really is
• Why Tetairoa McMillan was quiet against the Browns, and how the tight ends stepped up
• Whether a 1-2 start means the season is slipping
• The under-the-radar player to watch Sunday night

Subscribe and hit the bell so you don't miss a breakdown. Drop your mailbag questions in the comments for next week's show. Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and read more at twogrowlsoneroar.com.

The Carolina Panthers had Cleveland beat. Twice. Up 12-10 in the fourth, then up 18-13 with 4:25 to go after Bryce Young found John Metchie III for the only touchdown of the day. Then Deshaun Watson went 65 yards in eight plays, a roughing-the-passer flag on Bobby Okereke wiped out a game-sealing interception, and the Browns walked off with a 21-18 win.

On today's Two Growls One Roar Monday breakdown, we go through the Good, the Bad and the Ugly from Week 3 in Cleveland, and it's a heavy one.

THE GOOD: Ryan Fitzgerald went 4-for-4, including a 53-yarder, and was basically the whole offense. Special teams forced the game's only turnover on the second-half kickoff. The defense held Watson to 144 passing yards for most of the afternoon without Devin Lloyd or Nick Scott. Brycen Tremayne finally got his moment with 4 catches for 83 yards. Bryce Young took a beating and never came off the field.

THE BAD: Mason Graham and Jared Verse lived in our backfield. Cleveland blitzed, played man, and dared Carolina to beat them deep, and every defense in the league was watching. Tetairoa McMillan was held to 2 catches for 17 yards and still doesn't have a touchdown this season. Two failed fourth-down tries gave Cleveland 10 points. Four field goals before the first touchdown won't beat anybody.

THE UGLY: Jaycee Horn is out indefinitely with a significant quad injury, and reports say it's torn. Mike Jackson left in the first quarter with a groin injury. By the end, our cornerbacks were rookie Will Lee III, Akayleb Evans and Chau Smith-Wade. Add Jalen Coker's quad, Damien Lewis, and Bryce's leg, and it was a brutal afternoon.

We also run through today's news from Dave Canales' Monday press conference. Bryce is getting imaging but is expected to play, Devin Lloyd looks set to return, Nick Scott is "playable," Legette is day-to-day, and Saahdiq Charles is back on the practice squad.

Then it's the big question: who does Dan Morgan call? We rank the realistic cornerback options, including Tre'Davious White, Marshon Lattimore, Mike Hilton, Adoree' Jackson, Shaq Griffin and Jeff Okudah. We also look at trade chatter around Kristian Fulton and Deonte Banks, plus the practice squad guys who could be elevated. We compare the original Week 1 depth chart to what Carolina will actually take to Detroit.

The good news: the Saints lost too, so the NFC South is a three-way tie at 1-2. Next up is the Lions on Sunday Night Football, with a rookie corner on an island in primetime.

We had this one. With 4:25 left in Cleveland, the Carolina Panthers led 18-13 and had about an 83% chance to win. Less than two minutes later, Akayleb Evans picked off Deshaun Watson in the end zone to seal it… until a roughing-the-passer flag on Bobby Okereke wiped it out. Three plays later, Harold Fannin Jr. scored his second touchdown, Watson hit Denzel Boston for two, and the Browns walked off 21-18 winners. Carolina falls to 1-2.

The worst part? The Panthers won almost every stat that usually decides games. They out-gained Cleveland 360 to 259, won first downs 24 to 17, and Ryan Fitzgerald went a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals, including a 53-yarder. None of it mattered, because the game came down to the margins, exactly like Dave Canales said.

In this Two Growls One Roar postgame breakdown, we cover:

🔹 The win probability cliff: from 83% to zero in the final four minutes
🔹 Red zone failures: four deep drives, one touchdown
🔹 0-for-3 on fourth down, including the 4th-and-1 at our own 40 that handed Cleveland a touchdown
🔹 The failed two-point try that changed the math late
🔹 The Okereke roughing call, and Jaelan Phillips wondering if Watson sold it
🔹 Bryce Young under a 51% pressure rate, with Mason Graham and Jared Verse living in the backfield
🔹 A tale of two halves: Chuba Hubbard at 1.8 yards per carry in the first half and 7.1 in the second
🔹 Tight ends carrying the passing game while Tetairoa McMillan was held to 2 catches
🔹 A defense that deserved better: zero Browns first downs in the third quarter
🔹 Maema Njongmeta's forced fumble on the re-kick

We also go through the full injury picture. That includes the new injuries to Jaycee Horn (quad), Mike Jackson (groin), and Jalen Coker (quad), plus Bryce playing through a lower-body issue. Then there's everyone already on the shelf: Devin Lloyd, Claudin Cherelus, Nick Scott, Xavier Legette, Jonathon Brooks, Ikem Ekwonu, and Taylor Moton. The cornerback room could be in real trouble heading into next week.

Up next is the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football, October 4 at Bank of America Stadium. It's Carolina's first SNF game since 2016 and the last game before the Week 5 bye. Jahmyr Gibbs just dropped three touchdowns on the Jets, but the Lions have already blown two big leads at home this season. We break down what Carolina has to fix to get to 2-2 heading into the bye.

Were we robbed, or did the Panthers beat themselves? Drop your take in the comments. 👇