Panthers Beat Lions 32-26 as McMillan Logs 14 Catches, 192 Yards, 2 TDs

Tetairoa McMillan caught 14 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns as the Carolina Panthers beat the Detroit Lions 32-26 on Sunday Night Football in Week 4.

The Carolina Panthers held off the Detroit Lions 32-26 on Sunday night in Week 4, taking the primetime matchup behind a big performance from wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. Head coach Dave Canales admitted afterward that the showing arrived despite a difficult week of practice between quarterback Bryce Young and his top target in the passing game.

McMillan finished with 14 receptions for 192 yards and two touchdowns, a stat line that set records along the way. He produced explosive plays from start to finish of the Sunday night game, and the Panthers eventually secured the win by a single score.

Canales was candid about the lead-up when he spoke with reporter Joe Person after the game. "I got to be honest. It was not a great week of practice for the two of them," Canales said of McMillan and Young. "There were some misses. They had to work through some stuff and talk through it."

The coach added that a rough week on the practice field does not always forecast game-day results. "I've been a part of this before, where you don't make the judgement on what's going to happen on Sunday as the guys continue to work and find that," he said. "Then for it to show up like that was beautiful." McMillan's stat line against Detroit took on added significance in light of those comments.

The production continued a rapid rise for the young receiver. McMillan is in the second season of his NFL career, all of it spent with the Panthers. He entered the year looking to build on a promising rookie campaign and carve out a place among the NFL's top wideouts.

The game itself stayed close through the opening half. The two teams went back and forth across the first two quarters and reached the break level at 16-16. Carolina then took control after halftime, outscoring Detroit 16-10 across the final 30 minutes of regulation to finish off the victory.

Bryce Young had a productive night running the Carolina offense. He completed 29 of his 41 pass attempts for 329 yards and two touchdowns, with the aerial attack providing most of the damage against Detroit. The connection between Young and McMillan sat at the center of that production.

Chuba Hubbard supplied the balance on the ground for the Carolina offense. He carried 20 times for 122 yards and found the end zone twice, complementing the work Young and McMillan did through the air.

The Panthers now head into an open week. Carolina is on bye in Week 5 and will next take the field on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6. That game is scheduled for Oct. 18, with kickoff set for 1 p.m. ET.