Bryce Young throws three touchdowns as Panthers rout Falcons 34-3

Bryce Young threw three touchdown passes and Devin Lloyd intercepted two throws as Carolina beat Atlanta 34-3 on Sunday, giving the Panthers their first win of the season and a decisive response to their opening-week defeat.

Young completed 23 of 36 passes for 287 yards without an interception. Darren Waller caught two touchdown passes, while Chuba Hubbard supplied the other receiving score. Carolina was ahead 20-3 at halftime and kept Atlanta from reaching the end zone throughout the afternoon.

The defense’s improvement was just as important as Young’s passing. After allowing 59 points to Chicago in Week 1, the Panthers forced Atlanta into mistakes from the opening possession and never let the Falcons settle behind fill-in quarterback Cooper Rush.

Turnovers put Atlanta behind immediately

Rush lost a fumble on Atlanta’s first possession. The next ended with an interception by Bobby Okereke. Those early losses of possession left the Falcons chasing a game in which their depleted quarterback room was already a major concern.

Young’s three-yard touchdown pass to Hubbard opened the scoring. Ryan Fitzgerald added two field goals before Nick Folk supplied Atlanta’s only points with a 41-yard kick late in the second quarter.

Carolina still had time to answer before halftime. Young found Waller for a seven-yard touchdown with 20 seconds left, pushing the lead to 20-3. Waller scored again on a 12-yard reception in the third quarter, giving Young three touchdown passes for the second consecutive game.

Waller finished with three catches for 33 yards, converting two of them into scores. Tetairoa McMillan led Carolina with five receptions for 101 yards, while Jalen Coker caught eight passes for 66. Xavier Legette added 64 yards on two catches, including a 55-yard gain.

Lloyd makes the result emphatic

Rush completed 10 of 17 passes for 86 yards and two interceptions before Atlanta turned to rookie Jack Strand late in the third quarter. The change did not stop Carolina’s defense. Lloyd intercepted Strand and returned the ball 16 yards for a touchdown, completing the scoring at 34-3.

Lloyd’s two interceptions produced 69 return yards. He also recorded nine tackles and a sack, making an impact beyond the touchdown return. Okereke finished with nine tackles and the early interception that helped put Carolina in control.

Atlanta remained without Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa, who were inactive with knee and oblique injuries respectively. Bijan Robinson rushed for 72 yards on 16 carries, but the Falcons could not build a scoring drive around that production. Rush and Strand combined for three interceptions, and Atlanta lost two fumbles.

Carolina is 1-1, while Atlanta fell to 0-2 with a divisional loss already on its record. The Panthers’ next challenge is sustaining the defensive response against a healthier offense. For Sunday, Young’s accuracy, his spread of receiving options and the takeaways gave Carolina control from the opening quarter through the final whistle.