Two Growls One Roar: A Carolina Panthers Podcast

The Carolina Panthers are 3-2, alone in first place in the NFC South, and the 1-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers come to Bank of America Stadium on Sunday. On today's TGOR Podcast we break down everything from Wednesday in Charlotte: both teams' injury reports, Dave Canales' press conference, and what Bryce Young, Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, Nick Scott and Will Lee III had to say ahead of a big division game. The headline is on defense. Jaelan Phillips re-aggravated the same hamstring that bothered him after the Detroit game, and Canales said Phillips is unlikely to play Sunday after the MRI showed it needs more intensive treatment. Thomas Incoom is week to week with a calf injury but is not headed to IR, and it took four players to replace him on special teams in Philadelphia. Practice-squad linebacker Nick Hampton gets the first look at outside linebacker. Bam Martin-Scott's practice window is open, Tre Tyus moves up to the 53-man roster, and Albert Reese was claimed by Arizona. Brady Christensen remains on IR. On the Tampa side, Baker Mayfield practiced in full for the first time since dislocating his throwing thumb in Week 3, and Todd Bowles plans to decide Friday between Mayfield and rookie Jalon Daniels. Bucky Irving, Emeka Egbuka, Luke Goedeke, Zyon McCollum and Christian Rozeboom all missed practice. Canales, who coached Baker in Tampa, expects him to play. Sunday is Bryce Young's 50th NFL start. He threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns in the 25-14 win at Philadelphia, but the Panthers were flagged 13 times for 149 yards, and Bryce put the penalties squarely on himself. We also get into the run defense Canales says is "not being talked about enough," Tershawn Wharton's return, and how this team has gone from chasing comebacks to closing games out behind Chuba Hubbard's 120-yard day and Tommy Tremble's two touchdowns. We finish with a scouting look at the Bucs, whose defense ranks fourth in total yards with former Panther A'Shawn Robinson leading them in interceptions, plus a full NFC South update: the Falcons and Saints are both 2-4, and Carolina is the only team in the division over .500. After Sunday, the Panthers turn around and play at Green Bay on Thursday night. Question of the day: is this a trap game or a statement win, and does your prediction change if Baker plays? Drop your score in the comments. Follow @TGORPODCAST on X and visit twogrowlsoneroar.com for more Panthers coverage. Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss a daily episode of Two Growls One Roar.

The Carolina Panthers are 3-2, alone atop the NFC South, and coming off a 25-14 road win in Philadelphia. On today's TGOR Podcast we dig into what's driving this team and what could trip it up. Segment 1: The winning formula. ESPN's Mike Kaye points out the Panthers average a league-worst 26.2 rushing yards in the first half and the second-best 82.6 in the second half. Bryce Young builds the lead through the air, then Chuba Hubbard grinds it out. Against the Eagles, Chuba had 24 yards at halftime and finished with 120 on 28 carries. Bryce is now one of only six quarterbacks in NFL history with 280+ yards, a touchdown and one or fewer interceptions in each of his team's first five games. Is it sustainable? Segment 2: Canales unfiltered. We break down Dave Canales on Panther Talk: Bryce's trust in TMac, Jalen Coker and the tight ends, Tommy Tremble's two-touchdown day, how 12, 13 and even 14 personnel (with OT Stone Forsythe as the fourth tight end) are shaping the offense, and why he's got rookie corner Will Lee III's back. Segment 3: The third phase. Trevor Etienne returned from IR and averaged 14.2 yards per punt return, up from 8.2 last season. Tre Tyus got a hand on a punt late in the fourth. JJ Jansen set the NFL record for games played by a long snapper. And Ryan Fitzgerald: 11-for-11 on field goals, but 11-for-15 on extra points with three misses wide right. Real problem or overblown? Segment 4: Moves and Ickey watch. The Panthers waived undrafted rookie OT Albert Reese, and Tre Tyus is reportedly being signed from the practice squad to fill the spot. With Taylor Moton back, Rasheed Walker playing his best football and Monroe Freeling working back from a knee injury, the tackle room is crowded. Then Canales brought up Ikem Ekwonu on his own and told fans to "stay tuned." We sort out what's fact and what's speculation. Segment 5: Bucs on deck. Tampa Bay (1-5) visits Charlotte Sunday at 1:00 for its first division game. Baker Mayfield is expected to practice Wednesday after a thumb injury, rookie Jalon Daniels has started the last three games, and the Bucs own the NFL's second-best run defense. That's a direct test of Carolina's second-half Chuba plan, with a Thursday night trip to Green Bay right after. Your turn: Fitzgerald is 11-for-11 on field goals and 11-for-15 on extra points. Worried or overblown? Tell us in the comments. Follow TGOR on X at @TGORPODCAST and read more at twogrowlsoneroar.com. Subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss a Panthers episode. Keep Pounding.

The Carolina Panthers came out of the bye and took care of business in Philadelphia, beating the Eagles 25-14 to move to 3-2 and sit alone in first place in the NFC South. Now comes the part that's harder than winning: handling the expectations that come with being on top. On today's TGOR Podcast we break down Dave Canales' Monday press conference and what it tells us about where this team is headed. Segment 1, The Pressure on Canales: Canales took the blame for the end of the first half, saying he slowed the offense down when Bryce Young and Brad Idzik were ready to attack, and the Panthers walked into halftime with nothing to show for the drive. Add a franchise-record 13 penalties for 149 yards, a quick turnaround to Thursday night in Green Bay, and a team that's learning to close games instead of come back in them. Is the clock management a red flag or growing pains? Segment 2, The Decision at Left Tackle: Taylor Moton played the whole game in his return from blood clots, and Canales said Rasheed Walker played his best game. But first-round pick Monroe Freeling is getting healthy, and left tackle is his natural side. Does the rookie take Walker's job, or does Carolina ride the line that just won? Canales says they'll put out the best and healthiest group. We lay out all three options. Segment 3, Ejiro Evero's Defense, Week 1 vs the Last 4: In Week 1 the Bears hung 59 points, 552 yards and 291 rushing yards on Carolina. In the four games since, the Panthers are allowing 16 points and about 305 yards per game, and the run defense has gone from 291 yards to 157, 132, 46 and 35. Back-to-back games under 50 rushing yards. We give credit to Derrick Brown, Devin Lloyd, Bobby Okereke and Tre'von Moehrig, and we're honest about the asterisks: a third-string Falcons QB and an Eagles team without Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley. Segment 4, State of the Team: Tommy Tremble's career day with two touchdowns, Chuba Hubbard's 120-yard grind including the 92-yard drive, Zakee Wheatley and Will Lee III growing up as rookies, and injury updates on Jaelan Phillips, Thomas Incoom and Monroe Freeling. Segment 5, NFC South and What's Next: The Panthers lead the division at 3-2. Tampa Bay comes to Charlotte Sunday with Baker Mayfield's thumb still in question, then it's Thursday night at Lambeau. Your turn: When Freeling is healthy, who plays left tackle? Drop your answer in the comments. Subscribe for daily Carolina Panthers coverage from a fan's point of view, and follow along on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Follow on X: @TGORPODCAST Website: twogrowlsoneroar.com

The Carolina Panthers came out of the bye and went into Lincoln Financial Field and took care of business, beating the Philadelphia Eagles 25-14 to move to 3-2 for the first time since 2021. On today's Two Growls One Roar podcast, we break down every storyline from the win. We start with the ground game. Chuba Hubbard carried 28 times for 120 yards and a touchdown, and he was the engine of the drive of the day: 14 plays, 92 yards and 7:43 off the clock, kept alive by a 19-yard run on fourth-and-1 before Hubbard punched it in from a yard out. Carolina ran it 33 times as a team and closed the game with a nine-play drive that drained the final 4:26. Then it's Tommy Tremble's day. The tight end caught four passes for 46 yards and both of Carolina's touchdown passes, from 12 and 19 yards, the first multi-touchdown game of his career. We talk about the Rocky Balboa celebration in Philly, Jalen Coker's praise for him after the game, and the taunting flag that cost the Panthers an extra point. Bryce Young threw for 281 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions with a 91.9 passer rating. The completion rate was just 20 of 39, so we debate it: was this a clean, winning game or did the offense leave points on the field? We also hit the biggest throw of the day, a 32-yarder to Jalen Coker on third-and-8 from the Panthers' own 10, plus Coker's 97 yards in his return and Tetairoa McMillan's six catches for 86. On defense, Carolina held the Eagles to 35 rushing yards on 13 carries and 222 total yards. Bobby Okereke led the way with eight tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack, with Devin Lloyd, Tre'von Moehrig and Jaelan Phillips also getting to Tanner McKee, who started with Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley out. Philly's last drive ended on downs. We also note Phillips aggravating his hamstring. Finally, the flag problem. The Panthers were penalized 13 times for 149 yards, including intentional grounding, two delays of game and the taunting call. Ryan Fitzgerald was perfect on field goals from 47 and 52, but between a failed two-point try and a missed extra point, points were left out there. With Tampa Bay coming to Charlotte next Sunday, that has to get cleaned up. Question of the day: who gets your game ball, Chuba Hubbard, Tommy Tremble or Bobby Okereke? Drop it in the comments. Subscribe for daily Carolina Panthers coverage and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode. Follow @TGORPODCAST and visit twogrowlsoneroar.com for more. Chapters and stats are on screen throughout the episode. Keep pounding.

The Week 6 matchup in Philadelphia changed in a hurry on Thursday. The Eagles ruled out quarterback Jalen Hurts for Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers with a superficial blood clot in his calf, and backup Tanner McKee will make the start. On today's Two Growls One Roar podcast we break down what happened, who McKee is, and what it means for a Panthers team sitting in first place in the NFC South. We start with the timeline. Hurts took a cleat to the calf in the Week 4 loss to the Rams, practiced in full the next week, and an ultrasound in London found a small clot. Doctors cleared him to play the Jaguars, but a follow-up scan Wednesday night showed the clot had moved, and the Eagles shut him down while they decide on treatment. Carolina knows this injury better than most after Taylor Moton spent three months on blood thinners this summer, and the Panthers made a point of wishing Hurts well. Then we get into Tanner McKee: a 6-foot-6 pocket passer from Stanford with 88 career attempts, five touchdowns, one interception and two career starts. Jaelan Phillips saw him every day on the Eagles scout team last year and says he doesn't play like a backup. Kenny Pickett, his former teammate in Philly, expects a quick-release game plan. Derrick Brown and Devin Lloyd explain how the defense is scrambling to study him. The betting line moved from Panthers -1.5 to -3.5 after the news. Next is the Panthers' own injury report. Rookie right tackle Monroe Freeling returned to practice on a limited basis with his knee, AJ Dillon missed again with an ankle, and Damien Lewis, Jaelan Phillips, Tommy Tremble and Darren Waller were limited. Bryce Young, Jalen Coker, Thomas Incoom, Trevor Etienne, Taylor Moton and Tershawn Wharton were all full participants. We also run through who is still on injured reserve, including Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson, Xavier Legette, Jonathon Brooks and Cam Jackson. We spend real time on the comebacks. Moton is back after a pulmonary embolism, and Turk Wharton is cleared after neck fusion surgery, with Ejiro Evero calling him one of the best players on the team when he's available. Does Moton start at right tackle Sunday, or does Freeling get his job back? We close with the coordinator press conferences: Brad Idzik on handling Jalen Carter and that Georgia front, Evero on preparing for Saquon Barkley whether he plays or not, and Tracy Smith on Brycen Tremayne leading the team in special teams tackles. Your turn: with Hurts out, is anything less than a win in Philly a disappointment for this Panthers team? Let us know in the comments. Subscribe for daily Panthers coverage, follow @TGORPODCAST on X, and visit twogrowlsoneroar.com. Also on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.