As far as preseason performances go, the Carolina Panthers' showing in Buffalo on Saturday couldn't have gone much worse.
The 29-14 loss looked rougher on the field than it did on the scoreboard, as both starting units faltered throughout the first quarter. Carolina's already-battered offensive line couldn't do much for the ground game—as running backs Jonathon Brooks, Trevor Etienne and Miles Davis all averaged fewer than 2.0 yards per carry.
Quarterback Bryce Young also suffered as a result of the make-do trench, as he was often hurried through his progressions and wound up completing three of his five passes for 18 yards. As a whole, the starting offense went three and out, three and out and three and out on all three of their possessions.
If this is how the 2026 season is going to go, the Panthers could make a huge mistake and wind up blaming Young for their issues. In ESPN's new Future Power Rankings, analyst Louis Riddick warned them against this:
Quarterback Bryce Young had some singularly great games in 2025 (see: Week 13 win over the Rams) when he showed he was cool under pressure. He needs help to continue his development trajectory, but 2026 could be rough given the health of the offensive line and lack of a dependable WR2 behind McMillan. That could cause the organization to assign the blame to Young, and I think that would be inappropriate.
The Panthers came in at 23rd on ESPN's list, which ranked the long-term outlook for each franchise. Additionally, their overall roster strength, excluding the quarterback position, ranked 26th.
To rise in these rankings, Carolina must continue to surround Young with as much talent as they can. Signing veteran tight end Darren Waller was definitely a step in the right direction, and the offseason additions they made at offensive tackle in left tackle Rasheed Walker and right tackle Monroe Freeling might end up saving their season.
General manager Dan Morgan and company have to stay aggressive, looking for upgrades at every possible supporting position at every opportunity. Look for them to pounce at the end of the month, when teams start cutting their rosters down from 90 to 53 players—leaving some overlooked talent to the open market.
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: ESPN analyst shares warning for Panthers about QB Bryce Young