The Carolina Panthers and Detroit Lions face off on Sunday Night Football as part of Week 4 of the 2026 NFL season, taking center stage in prime time for one of the week’s most compelling matchups, with both sides having their starting quarterbacks and backups set.
Detroit bounced back from a Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills with a win over the New York Jets, advancing to 2-1 on the young season. Now, it’s off to Carolina to take on a reigning division champion, the Panthers.
On the Panthers’ side, after blowing out the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2, the Carolina Panthers suffered a setback this past week, falling to the Cleveland Browns 21-18. That puts them at 1-2 for the season.
Both franchises have their quarterback depth charts established ahead of the prime-time matchup. The Lions feature Jared Goff as their starting quarterback, with Joshua Dobbs serving as the first backup. For the Panthers, Bryce Young leads the offense as QB1, backed up by Kenny Pickett at QB2 and Haynes King as QB3.
Jared Goff #16 of the Detroit Lions warms up.
| Team | QB1 | QB2 | QB3 |
| Lions | Jared Goff | Joshua Dobbs | N/A |
| Panthers | Bryce Young | Kenny Pickett | Haynes King |
What the Lions will need
Goff remains one of the NFL‘s most efficient quarterbacks early in this season, as he has yet to throw an interception and ranks fourth in passing yards up to this point. He can enter early MVP talks if he puts on another show in front of a national audience.
Goff will have his primary weapon available in Jahmyr Gibbs, who continues to be one of the best backs in the league and is expected to be utilized heavily once again. With teams continuing to play shell coverages against the Lions, he can be used as a receiver as well. Vaki continues to improve in pass protection and has seen his role grow as the second option.
What the Panthers will need
On Young’s side, if the Panthers want any shot of competing against the Lions—given the absence of Jalen Coker—in what is set up to be a potential shootout, Carolina will need a big game from quarterback Bryce Young and McMillan, his top target.
The Lions lead the NFL in passing yards allowed this season, and this matchup is perfect for Carolina to air the ball out against this struggling secondary. It is also a bounce-back opportunity for McMillan, who had just two receptions for 17 yards last week.
Key takeaways
- A 2-1 record was reached by Detroit entering the Sunday night matchup.
- Jared Goff is QB1 for Detroit, with Joshua Dobbs serving as backup.
- Bryce Young leads Carolina as QB1, backed up by Kenny Pickett.
