On Sunday night we were all living in Tetairoa McMillan’s world. McMillan, last year’s AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, turned in the best performance of his young career in Week 4, helping the Panthers defeat the Lions 32-26. McMillan finished the game with 14 receptions for 192 yards with two touchdowns, setting single-game career highs in the first two categories. He caught a 32-yard touchdown in the second quarter and a 10-yard touchdown in the third quarter. But beyond that, he was quarterback Bryce Young’s go-to receiver all night, making catch after catch. One of the most impressive came late in the fourth quarter, when he somehow dropped two feet while stretching down the sideline to convert third-and-14 with an 18-yard reception. This all came after McMillan was limited to just two receptions for 17 yards in last week’s loss to Cleveland. Chuba Hubbard helped Carolina dominate Detroit’s defense, gaining 122 yards on 20 carries with two touchdowns. That equates to 6.1 yards per attempt. Young finished the night 29 of 41 for 329 yards with a pair of touchdowns and no interceptions. In a game that included no turnovers, Lions quarterback Jared Goff was 32 of 52 for 412 yards with a touchdown. But the Panthers’ defense was able to disrupt Goff enough to keep the Lions off balance, particularly in key moments. Trailing by 13 in the fourth quarter, the Lions had a turnover with 7:04 left in the contest deep in Panthers territory. Then, when the Lions got the ball back with 2:06 left in the six, Goff couldn’t move the chains for another turnover to effectively end the game. On the injury front, Panthers rookie right tackle Monroe Freeling left with a knee injury and did not return. Panthers running back Jaelan Phillips exited with a hamstring injury. Lions cornerback Rock Ya-Sin did not return with a hamstring injury. Now 2-2, the Panthers will have their bye in Week 5 before facing the Eagles in Week 6. The 2-2 Lions will be on the road again in Week 4 to face the Cardinals.
