2026 Week 3 Opponent Scouting Report: Carolina Panthers
Last week, the Browns notched their first win of the season as they defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-19. Hoping to build on that momentum, they’ll take on the Carolina Panthers in the 2026 home opener. Here’s a brief breakdown of what to expect.
It seems that the Panthers’ offense has improved and evolved along with QB Bryce Young. Over the past handful of seasons, it’s obvious his confidence as a QB has grown. Last year, in his 2nd season as a full-time starter, Young averaged the fourth-fewest passing yards per attempt (6.3). In comparison with this season, he has the third-most passing yards per attempt (8.9). Albeit in a much smaller sample size, it’s clear that the former University of Alabama signal caller is more comfortable stretching the field now than in seasons past. Although they are more than capable of handling it, the pressure will be on Denzel Ward and the rest of the Cleveland secondary to slow down the Panthers’ aerial attack.
The biggest improvement on this defense compared to last season is their ability to generate a consistent pass rush. Last season, the Panthers’ defense had the league’s seventh-lowest sack rate (5.3%) and the second-lowest pressure rate (16.5%). This concern was practically solved in the offseason when the team signed OLB Jaelan Phillips in free agency. It may not look it due to his low sack numbers (8 sacks in three years), but Phillips is a top-tier pass rusher. Last season, Phillips had 35 QB pressures, ninth-most in the league and fifth-most among OLBs. To put that in perspective, while not having as many sacks, Phillips outpressured notable pass rushers Houston Texans DE Danielle Hunter and Las Vegas Raiders DE Maxx Crosby.
Alongside Phillips in the LB corps is one of the NFL’s best defensive players, Devin Lloyd. While playing for Jacksonville last year, Lloyd was a menace for opposing offenses. He accounted for 81 tackles, 6 TFLs, and 1.5 sacks, but he made his impact defending against the pass. The former Utah Ute had 5 interceptions, the second-most in the league. When targeted, he allowed a minuscule passer rating of 57.1. In context, he allowed a lower passer rating than premier shutdown cornerbacks Denver’s Pat Surtain (54.0) and Houston’s Derrick Stingley Jr. (66.6).
Even with all of the newfound optimism surrounding him, I’ll take Deshaun Watson’s performance last week with a grain of salt. While relatively impressive, it came against a mediocre Tampa Bay defense. While most eyes will be on Watson, there’s another skill position player who needs to play well in order for Cleveland to win this game. Quinshon Judkins has had a slow start to the season so far. His 2.3 rushing yards per attempt are dead last in the league. His explosiveness and ability to break tackles are both under question due to his 1.2 yards before (third-lowest) and 1.1 yards after (fifth-lowest among RBs) contact.
Another disappointing game not only would greatly diminish Cleveland’s chances in this game but would also throw doubts as to whether or not Judkins is the long-term answer at halfback. Luckily for him, Carolina’s defense is last in rushing yards per attempt and total rushing yards allowed. Something got to give in this matchup, and I think it’ll be Judkins. It wouldn’t be wise for Carolina to stack the box repeatedly due to the emergence of rookie wideouts K.C. Concepcion and Denzel Boston. This should give the second-year back from Ohio State a slight advantage that he didn’t have in the previous two games.
Strengths:
- Explosive passing offense
- League-best TO margin
Weaknesses:
- Bad run defense
- Fourth-most penalized team in the NFL
- Opponents convert 3rd down at league-worst 51.8%
Key Matchup:
- Tyson Campbell vs. Tetairoa McMillan
It’s difficult to gauge this Carolina team, with their two performances on the field being starkly different from each other. Are they the team that surrendered almost 60 points to Chicago, or are they the team that held Atlanta to only a lowly field goal? Now, there are reasons behind both defensive performances. One game was against an offense led by rising star QB Caleb Williams, and the other was against an offense trotting out third-string journeyman QB Cooper Rush, but the fact remains that this team is a bit of a mixed bag. If Deshaun Watson can build on last week’s performance and if the run game can finally get going, I believe the Browns have a decent chance to win. If there’s a lack of offensive production, however, expect the boobirds to be out in full force. In this battle of two young teams on the upswing, I’m taking Cleveland by a slim margin.
Score Prediction:
- CLE-24
- CAR-21
