Panthers' starting offense, Bryce Young struggle mightily in 1st preseason action of 2026

It's a good thing to get your reality check early in the season, or even better—in the preseason. After taking down the Arizona Cardinals last week, the Carolina Panthers got that out of the way when they ran into a brick wall this afternoon. As Buffalo Bills head coach and former Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady ran circles around defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, Carolina's first-string offense found no answers when they had the ball. Starting quarterback Bryce Young didn’t get much of an opportunity on his first drive of the game. After a short run by running back Jonathon Brooks, he completed a 6-yard pass to tight end Tommy Tremble. On third down, he had nowhere to go with the ball as pressure came down on him—so he threw it away rather than taking the sack. Young’s second drive wasn’t any better. After completing a 9-yarder to Brooks, the offensive line got pushed backwards on a run for a loss. On third down, Young’s pass was batted down at the line of scrimmage by Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard. For his last time out on the field, it was much the same story. After one completion for three yards to tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders, the drive stalled. Young dropped back on third-and-6, but held onto the ball too long and wound up taking a sack from defensive tackle Deone Walker. Young's day is now over—finishing with three completions on five attempts for 18 yards and a 67.1 passer rating. As a whole, the Panthers' first-team offense recorded zero first downs. To be fair, Carolina's offensive line was missing multiple starters, including left guard Damien Lewis and right guard Robert Hunt—and there's not much Young can do when he isn't getting solid protection. The Panthers' run game is also going to be predicated on quality blocking up front. Without either one, the Panthers aren't going to beat many teams, especially not a Super Bowl contender like the Bills. Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content. This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers' starting offense, Bryce Young struggle mightily in 1st preseason action of 2026