Back in 2024, Bryce Young was benched by Dave Canales just two games into the season after a tough start. Young threw for only 245 yards and three interceptions in those early blowouts. He came back for the last 10 games but couldn’t quite turn things around, guiding the Panthers to a 4-6 record down the stretch.

Now, in the 2025 season, the same question of Young’s job security is back in the spotlight after a wild Week 3 followed by a brutal Week 4. The Carolina Panthers were cruising after a dominant 30-0 win in Week 3, but then got crushed by the New England Patriots 42-13 on Sunday in Foxboro.

Pats marched to 2-2, while the Panthers stumbled to 1-3. Carolina looked lost and had no momentum. Bryce Young took the heat after a shaky performance. But coach Canales isn’t ready to pull the plug.

“Counting on him to keep pushing us forward, counting on him to keep us on track. There were some near misses across the board, some penalties that put us in weird situations. A couple of protection issues, and one of them where he slipped and kind of put us in a bad situation,” Canales said in the post-game presser.

Young was pulled in the fourth quarter while the team was down by 36 points. He finished with a modest 18 completions on 30 attempts for 150 yards and a single touchdown. The quarterback struggled visibly and slammed his helmet for the second time this season on the sidelines out of frustration. But Canales sees beyond mistakes.

The head coach continued, “I still feel that he’s being confident out there, he’s leading the group. He’s getting us out there with good energy and focus, and so he’ll continue.” So, no benching drama for now. The Panthers need Young to stay sharp and drive the pulse.

Veteran Andy Dalton took over after Young’s exit. He did inject some spark late in Sunday’s loss by engineering a 91-yard touchdown drive. Dalton’s efficient 5-for-6 passing for 58 yards and a touchdown showed the benching wasn’t just symbolic.

Having said that, let’s break down the key moments and biggest storylines from the Panthers’ rough day against the Patriots.

Takeaways from Panthers vs Patriots

Marcus Jones stole the show for the Patriots. His punt return dominance was historic, racking up 167 yards on just three returns, including an electrifying 87-yard touchdown. That’s the most punt return yards by any Patriots player in franchise history and one of the top performances league-wide since 2000.

The Panthers’ own coverage units were far from special, surrendering massive returns and giving up big field position. Rookie kicker Ryan Fitzgerald added to the pain, missing an extra point, falling short on a 55-yard field goal attempt, and kicking a kickoff into the end zone for a touchback.

After a dominant 30-0 win over Atlanta, the Panthers looked like a completely different team on Sunday. They scored on their opening drive but surrendered 42 straight points to the Patriots before Dalton finally got them on the board late in garbage time. It’s a harsh reality check for a team trying to prove it belongs in the NFL conversation.

Drake Maye stepped up big for New England. The Patriots got the quarterback play they hoped for from the North Carolina native, who completed 14 of 17 passes for 203 yards, two touchdown passes, one rushing touchdown, and no turnovers. Maye was so dominant that he was pulled with 10 minutes left as the blowout got out of hand.