The Carolina Panthers needed a statement game after a disappointing Week 1 loss to the Chicago Bears, and they delivered one in emphatic fashion. Carolina traveled to Atlanta and dismantled the Falcons 34-3 in a Week 2 divisional road win that featured dominant defense, another strong performance from quarterback Bryce Young, and key contributions from previously inactive players.

There’s plenty to break down from this game, so let’s get to the winners and losers.

Winner: Devin Lloyd is building an All-Pro case

The biggest winner from this game was easily linebacker Devin Lloyd, who turned in an absolute monster performance against Atlanta.

Lloyd tipped a pass early in the game that led to an interception by Bobby Okereke, then added two interceptions of his own. One was a 53-yard return, and the other was a 16-yard interception return for a touchdown. He also recorded a huge third-down sack, led the team with nine tackles, and added two tackles for a loss.

“I don’t know that I’ve seen a better performance by a linebacker in 17 years,” head coach Dave Canales said after the game.

Lloyd earned his first Pro Bowl nod last season with the Jacksonville Jaguars and is already off to an even better season after building off the strong game he had in Week 1. Through two weeks, he has the chance to be an All-Pro player for the Panthers this year. Carolina needed that kind of dominant defensive performance, and Lloyd delivered it. And I’m not going to say Ejiro Evero is in the clear, yet.

Loser: Offensive line penalties were a concern early

Despite the lopsided final score, the Panthers’ offensive line had some struggles worth monitoring. Right guard Robert Hunt committed two false starts and had an illegal use of hands penalty. Left tackle Rasheed Walker added another false start, and center Luke Fortner was flagged for holding.

Quarterback Bryce Young still had another strong game, throwing for three touchdowns and 287 yards while making big plays down the field for the second week in a row. He’s really coming into his own with Brad Idzik calling the offense. The unit still managed to produce 34 points despite the early struggles, but the offensive line needs to clean things up heading into Week 3.

Winner: Darren Waller is a red zone beast

Tight end Darren Waller had a very strong outing for the Panthers in Week 2. In his Panthers debut last week, Waller had a touchdown wiped off the board by an offensive pass interference call that looked questionable. This week, he found the end zone twice with a seven-yard touchdown and a 12-yard touchdown. While adding another reception for 14-yards.

“That’s exactly the kind of impact he can have in this offense,” Canales said. “And then it opens other things up.”

Waller has picked up right where he left off from last season with the Miami Dolphins, where he was an absolute threat inside the 20-yard line. His big frame gives Young a reliable red zone target, and the two got that connection rolling in Week 2.

“He and Bryce have spent a lot of time working on those things on Fridays,” Canales added. “Just to talk through ‘when I have this leverage, this is what it’s going to look like.’ And that’s a great part of having a veteran guy like Darren.”

Winner: Xavier Legette delivers in a big moment

Wide receiver Xavier Legette had a big moment against the Falcons on his 55-yard reception where he split the coverage of two defenders right before halftime. Head coach Dave Canales said earlier in the week that “it’s coming” when asked about Legette and the team is still counting on him to make big plays.

While it still wasn’t the full breakout game the Panthers want from their former first-round pick, that play was a significant confidence booster for Legette.

“What a big play. To me, that was the tipping point,” Canales said. “That was the shift in the momentum that we needed. We needed a big play to capture the game and be able to take care of it… Xavier had the best week he’s had of practice since I’ve been around… Something really cool for X to be able to build off of.”

Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker continued to lead the receiving corps as one of the league’s top WR duos through two weeks, producing together through every single game so far. Legette’s catch, though, came in a big moment and helped Carolina score before the half and it needs to be recognized.

Winners: Zakee Wheatley and Cam Jackson make their presence felt

Two players who were healthy scratches in Week 1 made an immediate impact after being activated for Week 2. Rookie safety Zakee Wheatley forced a fumble on the first play of the game and was all over the ball throughout the afternoon, adding strong open-field tackles. The Panthers wanted to be more physical this week, and Wheatley was one of their more physical players throughout the preseason.

Cam Jackson also made an impact after being inactive in Week 1. Both players contributed to a defensive effort that largely held Falcons running back Bijan Robinson in check for the majority of the game, especially as Atlanta’s quarterback situation deteriorated, even though Robinson finished with 72 yards. That’s a good day against a player like him.

Loser: Jonathon Brooks is a situation worth watching

Running back Jonathon Brooks just hasn’t been able to get things going through the first two weeks, and we all knew it would probably be a slow start out of the gate for him. Brooks had just six touches for 14 yards against the Falcons.

To make things worse, Brooks left the game and went to the locker room early with a groin injury, the same one that limited him going into Week 1. Canales said after the game that Brooks will be day-to-day going into Week 3.