The Carolina Panthers pulled off one of the biggest wins of their rebuild on Sunday night, beating the Detroit Lions 32-26 in front of a national TV audience, ESPN reported.

Quarterback Bryce Young completed 29 of 41 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns. His favorite target was second-year receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who caught 14 passes for 192 yards and two scores. Running back Chuba Hubbard added 122 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Detroit's Jared Goff kept firing, throwing for 412 yards. But Carolina's defense came up big when it mattered. With 2:12 left, the Panthers stopped the Lions on fourth-and-13, and the offense ran out the clock.

The win evened Carolina's record at 2-2 and gave its young core a signature night in front of a national audience.

For Young, the night was a statement. The No. 1 overall pick in 2023 struggled early in his career and was briefly benched in 2024. He has worked his way back, and big games like this one help answer questions about his future.

McMillan, the eighth overall pick in the 2025 draft, is becoming one of the NFL's best young receivers.

Some background: The Lions rose from years of losing to become one of the NFC's best teams under coach Dan Campbell, reaching the NFC title game after the 2023 season. Carolina has not made the playoffs since 2017.

Sunday Night Football airs on NBC and streams on Peacock. Replays are available on the NFL app.

What we know: Carolina won 32-26, and Young and McMillan had big nights.
What we don't: Whether the Panthers can turn this into a winning streak.