The Carolina Panthers came out of Week 1 with an offense that looked completely capable of hanging with anybody. The problem was everything behind it.
On a sweltering 90-degree afternoon Sunday, Carolina lost 59-37 to Chicago in a game that turned into a full-blown defensive collapse. The Bears piled up 552 total yards and kept finding one big play after another, while the Panthers watched a rebuilt defense get picked apart in ugly fashion.
The 59 points allowed set a new Panthers low mark, breaking the previous team record of 52 points surrendered twice before. The combined 96 points also established an NFL record for the most points ever scored in Week 1.
It was a brutal contrast to the recent quarterback-era frustrations Carolina had been trying to leave behind. In Bryce Young’s first three Week 1 starts, the Panthers scored only 30 total points. This time, they blew past that number in one afternoon and still got buried because the defense couldn’t get off the field.
Chicago made Carolina look overmatched from the start. The Bears’ attack was led by Caleb Williams, who repeatedly escaped trouble and turned broken plays into back-breaking gains.
His improvisation hurt Carolina all game, including touchdown scrambles of 29 and 9 yards. When he had time in the pocket, he carved the Panthers up there, too.
The run defense didn’t offer much resistance either.
Carolina’s offseason additions on defense - edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and inside linebacker Devin Lloyd - didn’t swing the game nearly enough. Williams looked every bit like a superstar against a Panthers unit that never found an answer. Three turnovers made things worse, and defensive lineman Derrick Brown was flagged twice for major penalties that added to the damage.
The first half alone was a scoring frenzy. The teams combined for 55 points, the most ever in a first half in Panthers history. Chicago still went into the break ahead 31-24, even after committing nine first-half penalties, losing a fumble and failing on a fourth-and-1 try from its own 21-yard line.
Carolina stayed within striking distance because its offense kept answering. Young had three touchdowns by halftime, including a 51-yard strike to Jalen Coker, a 4-yard touchdown pass to Chuba Hubbard after Young slipped away from pressure, and a 7-yard scramble in which he absorbed a hard hit at the finish. Coker was one of the bright spots for Carolina all day and finished with two touchdowns.
But even with 37 points on the board, the Panthers never had enough margin because the defense kept giving it right back. In most NFL games, 37 points gets the job done. This one was different.
The loss also extended Carolina’s rough run in season openers. The Panthers have not won a Week 1 game since 2021, when Sam Darnold was their quarterback, and they still own the worst career winning percentage in NFL season openers.
There was plenty of scoring history attached to the Bears as well. Their 59 points were tied for the 10th-most ever in an NFL game since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger.
Carolina can at least point to the next two weeks and see 0-1 opponents coming up in Atlanta and Cleveland. Both look beatable.
On Sunday, though, the Panthers looked beatable too.
In Other News...
Panthers Suddenly Have A D-Line Concern They Couldn't Afford
The Panthers defensive line, already a spot that could not afford much more strain, took another hit during the game when Bobby Brown went down after appearing to tweak his back and had to be helped off the field. Derrick Brown also was shaken up, adding to the uneasy feeling around a unit that has been asked to absorb too much change already.
Even with Derrick Brown eventually returning, the combination of in-game injury trouble and earlier roster turnover leaves Carolina watching one of its most important groups with real concern. For a defense that leans on its front to hold up the rest of the scheme, the margin for error suddenly looks awfully thin. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Loss Could Bring Another Problem Fans Wont Like
A rough afternoon for the Panthers got a little worse when Derrick Brown was flagged for roughing the passer on a late hit against Caleb Williams, a penalty that extended a Chicago drive and fed into the Bears eventual 59-37 win. It was the kind of moment that can linger long after the final whistle, especially in a game where Carolina needed cleaner football and instead kept giving Chicago extra chances.
Browns hit is also the sort of play the league tends to take a second look at, and that opens the door to possible additional fines or discipline. For a Panthers team already searching for answers after a lopsided loss, the last thing it needs is another reminder that one mistake can carry consequences beyond the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Fans Have Every Reason To Question Ejiro Evero Now
The Panthers spent the offseason pouring resources into their defense, hoping better talent would finally translate into better results. Instead, the unit was overwhelmed in a lopsided loss to the Bears, surrendering 52 points and more than 500 yards of offense in a performance that looked nothing like a group built to take a step forward.
Ejiro Evero is now in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. When a defense is upgraded and still gets pushed around that badly, the conversation shifts quickly from personnel to coaching, and Carolina has every reason to wonder whether the scheme, the adjustments and the overall direction are getting enough out of what was added to the roster. [Read more 🡒]