Panthers’ offense out of sorts in 27-10 loss to Seattle 

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (right) and receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. celebrate Young's touchdown run in their 27-10 loss to Seattle Dec. 28, 2025 at Bank of America Stadium. Seattle (13-3) limited Carolina (8-8) to 139 yards on offense.

Tetairoa McMillan didn’t feel right.  

When the Carolina Panthers rookie wide receiver awoke Sunday, he reported feeling “congested ... body fatigue ... just tired. 

“I woke up with a little sickness and was feeling under the weather,” he said. 

With the Panthers hosting the Seattle Seahawks in one of the most important games at Bank of America Stadium in nearly a decade, McMillan arrived at the trainers’ office “as early as possible” to prepare. 

“I knew I wanted to play, so I came in to try and get ahead of it,” he said. 

One of the NFL’s top rookies, McMillan – and the Panthers’ offense – failed to get in front – or behind – the Seahawks’ defense in a 27-10 loss. With quarterback Bryce Young throwing for a career-low 54 yards, McMillan posted just one catch for 5 yards on four targets.

Coach Dave Canales said Young “competed” and McMillan “was playing his butt off,” but after the offense converted just one of 11 third-down opportunities, the Panthers failed to clinch their first NFC South championship since 2015. 

“We made mistakes on the offensive side,” Canales said. “We have to do things right and that’s what we have to look at in front of us.” 

Playoff chances still alive 

What’s ahead of the Panthers (8-8) is a Week 18 matchup against Tampa Bay (7-9). If Carolina continues to alternate wins and losses – they have done so over their last nine games – the Panthers would clinch a wild-card spot and a home playoff date. To do so, the health of the offense needs to improve dramatically. 

McMillan popped up on Sunday’s pre-game injury report and was listed as questionable. But the rookie recovered enough to dress for warmups and took his spot in the starting lineup. 

His effectiveness didn’t match the effort. 

“Schematically, for me and (offensive coordinator) Brad (Idzik), is to make sure we create access and opportunities for TMac,” Canales said.  “I didn’t see a drop in his game as far as performance.” 

Entering Week 17, Young ranked first by Pro Football Focus in big-time throw rates (42.9%), completing 18 passes of at least 20 yards. Over his previous three starts, Young compiled a 91.6 PFF grade with six touchdown passes and zero turnovers.  

During the Week 16 come-from-behind win against Tampa Bay, Young completed two explosive throws to McMillan and Jalen Coker. In a 31-28 win against the Los Angeles Rams, Young connected on two long fourth-down throws. After not throwing downfield often during his first two seasons, Young appeared to be gaining additional trust from Canales, the Panthers’ primary play-caller. 

“Absolutely, that’s something we’ve grown into,” Canales said earlier in the week. “Some of the aggressive nature that we’ve had this year on fourth down is because of Bryce’s ability to execute the plays and trust the guys to make plays for him.  I love putting him in those positions because he consistently makes the right decisions.” 

Just not against the NFC-leading Seahawks, who improved to 13-3.  

Can Young, WRs continue to grow? 

Do the Panthers have a receiving corps to lead the rebuilding franchise on a playoff run if they qualify next weekend? The group is young and unproven. 

With a healthy McMillan, the Panthers believe they possess a bona fide No. 1 wide receiver. With 66 receptions for 929 yards and seven touchdowns, he remains a rookie-of-the-year candidate.  

Coker, a second-year player, continues to develop into a consistent threat inside and out.  

Xavier Legette, a 2024 first-round pick, struggles with consistency and on-field awareness issues. He had one catch for 3 yards and was called for an offsides penalty on a fourth-down play. 

Rookie Jimmy Horn Jr. has elite speed but has yet to break off a big play. He had two catches for 9 yards against the Seahawks. Brycen Tremayne remains a special teams ace. He failed to record a reception on his lone target.  

Of the corps’ two veterans, David Moore (shoulder) remains on the mend and Hunter Renfrow appears to be an insurance policy. 

None were difference-makers against the Seahawks, who employed additional man-to-man coverages that limited the wideouts’ effectiveness. The Panthers compiled just 139 total yards, averaging just 2.7 yards per play. 

Two third-quarter turnovers helped the Seahawks pull away from a 3-3 halftime tie. On the second, Young threw wide of MacMillan and Julian Love grabbed a game-turning interception.  

“That was the look we got all week (in practice),” McMillan said. “Sometimes, come game time, it doesn’t work out. That’s on me and Bryce. Bad ball or not, I gotta go back to the ball.” 

Four plays later, former Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold hit tight end A.J. Barner for a 17-yard touchdown pass, giving the Seahawks a 17-3 advantage. 

“We’ve got to take care of the ball,” said Coker, who tallied two catches for a team-high 16 yards. “That’s it.” 

Getting a healthier offensive performance for next weekend’s divisional showdown against the Buccaneers would help, too. 

“It’s going to come down to facing the Bucs one more time,” Canales said. “We have to get over the fact we lost an opporutnity, but our focus has to go the next game quickly.” 

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