Dave Canales: I've never seen a LB play better than Devin Lloyd on Sunday

Published September 21, 2026 08:08 AM There was a lot for Panthers head coach Dave Canales to like about the way his team played in Sunday’s 34-3 win over the Falcons and linebacker Devin Lloyd’s performance was at the top of the list. Lloyd was one of the biggest offseason acquisitions for Carolina, but he and the rest of the defense got steamrolled by the Bears in a Week 1 loss. Things went much better for the entire unit this week and Lloyd was right in the middle of all the action. Lloyd had two interceptions, including a third quarter pick that he returned for a touchdown. He also had nine tackles and a sack to earn high praise from Canales after the game. “I don’t know if I’ve seen a better performance out of a linebacker in 17 years of coaching in the NFL,” Canales said, via the team’s website.Per the Panthers, no other linebacker has ever had eight or more tackles, two or more interceptions, a touchdown, and a sack in the same game. Even when you adjust for the low level of difficulty involved with facing a Falcons offense quarterbacked by Cooper Rush and Jack Strand, it was an impressive outing for Lloyd and a Panthers defense that really needed to rebound from their opening debacle.