The offense looked very good, but the defense was about as bad as we’ve ever seen it as the Carolina Panthers dropped their season opener to the Chicago Bears, 59-37.
First Quarter
The Bears got the ball first, and on the first play D’Andre Swift ripped right through the middle of the defense for a big gain. However, it was called back for a holding penalty. Two plays later, two offseason acquisitions made their first impacts. Bobby Okereke punched the ball out from Luther Burden III, and rookie Will Lee IV recovered
it.
Bryce Young hit Tommy Tremble across the middle to get the drive started. A few plays later he found Jalen Coker deep down the right sideline, who made a spectacular toe tapping catch inside the five. The Panthers scored a couple plays later on a pass to Darren Waller, but he was called for a questionable pass interference. No matter. A couple plays later, Young eluded pressure and found Chuba Hubbard wide open for a touchdown.
The Bears responded. D’Andre Swift picked up some more big chunks that weren’t called back. Caleb Williams found space with some scrambles as well. The last of those came deep in Panthers territory, and he scampered down the right sideline for a game tying touchdown.
The Panthers got good field position after the kickoff missed the landing zone, but they didn’t do anything with it. Xavier Legette dropped a bubble screen then Young was sacked on third down. A short punt gave the Bears their own good field position. A couple plays into the drive Lee let Rome Odinze run free and was very lackadaisical trying to recover ground. He got mossed at the catch point, setting up 1st and goal. Two plays later, Swift punched in the Bears second touchdown. The first quarter ended with the Panthers going three and out for the second straight drive.
Second Quarter
A penalty on the punt gave the Bears the ball in Panthers territory to start their next drive. Kyle Monangai was wide open on a checkdown to big up a big gain. On the next play, Caleb Williams threw a dime to Cole Kmet, who pulled the ball in for the Bears’ third touchdown in as many possessions.
The Panthers answered quickly. Young found Coker across the middle for a nice gain. After a short run for Hubbard, Young went deep for Coker again, and he reeled it in behind the defense for a 51 yard touchdown.
The defense finally pulled their weight. They limited the Bears offense to a couple of short gains and brought up 4th and inches. The Bears went for it despite being on their own 20. The defense bowed up and stuffed the sneak. Tetairoa McMillan got his first catch of the season on the ensuing drive to take the offense inside the 10. After an exchange of penalties, Young bobbed and weaved on a scramble and weathered a big hit to tie the game up at 21.
The defense once again forced a three and out after Trevis Gipson made a great backside tackle against his former team. This time the Bears punted, and Jimmy Horn Jr. completely whiffed on the punt and muffed it back to Chicago. The defense held up though and forced a field goal.
Young found Jonathon Brooks up the sideline on a scramble drill for a 50 yard gain. That got the Panthers into field goal range, and that’s what they had to settle for. Ryan Fitzgerald knocked through the 44 yarder.
Jaelan Phillips sacked Caleb Williams on the first play of the two minute drive, but Williams was able to make a highlight throw on 3rd and long to keep the drive alive. A few plays later, Williams broke contain and again took off down a wide open left sideline for a 29 yard touchdown.
The Panthers tried to force the issue in the last 22 seconds. Young got picked off trying to make a play, but it was an inconsequential interception with just five seconds left.
Third Quarter
The Panthers got the ball first coming out of the half and unceremoniously went three and out. The Bears did the same thanks to a sack by Princely Umanmielen. Jimmy Horn Jr. almost fumbled again but was fortunately down before the ball came out.
Chuba Hubbard was a bit more assertive running the ball and tight ends Darren Waller and Tommy Tremble had some nice catches to move the offense down the field with haste. They ended up on the doorstep of the goal line, and Hubbard was able to punch in his second touchdown of the game.
The Bears marched down the field with a handful of modest games. The defense forced the Bears into a 2nd and 20 after a run stuff and a holding penalty, but Derrick Brown was called for roughing the passer to gift the Bears a first down at the 11 yard line. Three handoffs to D’Andre Swift ended with the Bears in the end zone once again.
Another illegal kick gave the Panthers good field position, and another in breaker to Jalen Coker crossed midfield. The Panthers found themselves in a 4th and short and left the offense on the field, but Young overthrew McMillan on a corner route. On the first play after the turnover, Kyle Monangai ran right through the middle of the defense for a 61 yard touchdown.
Fourth Quarter
Young found McMillan wide open across the middle of the field for a huge gain, but he had the ball punched out when he got tackled.
The defense got the Bears into a couple of third downs but they kept leaving large gaps in coverage and let the Bears pick up easy first downs. Caleb Williams ran the ball all the way down to the goal line. Bobby Brown tipped a pass to himself and picked it off, but it was called back because Derrick Brown was lined up in the neutral zone. A couple plays later, Williams found Johdae Walker uncovered in the end zone for a knockout punch touchdown.
Young shoveled a ball to Hubbard under pressure for a 29 yard gain. He then completed back to back passes for McMillan for another 33 to get inside the five. He found Mitchell Evans for a touchdown, but it was called back for a pick by Jalen Coker. Coker made amends a couple plays later by shedding a tackle and waltzing in for a touchdown. The extra point was blocked just because this game was nuts.
In a fitting way to close the game, the Panthers defense had the Bears in a 3rd and 2 needing a stop for one last desperation attempt to get back into the game, but Trevis Gipson jumped offsides on the hard count and gave up the first down. Two plays later, D’Andre Swift ripped right through the middle of the defense once again for yet another touchdown.
The backups came in to finish the game.
Overall Outlook
On one hand, the offense was encouraging. Bryce Young pushed the ball down the field and was aggressive fitting the ball into windows. It was one of the better games he’s played in his career, and it was by far the best he’s played in a season opener.
On the other hand, the defense was as bad as we’ve seen it. The Bears offense won what felt like 80% of the plays. They were gashed in the run game, couldn’t get Caleb Williams on the ground, and left huge openings for receivers. Compounding the problems by the defense were self inflicted mistakes by players that the Panthers are counting on. Derrick Brown committed two penalties in the red zone that gave the Bears new life after a rare defensive win and Tetairoa McMillan fumbled away a must score possession. Those have to be cleaned up, and it goes without saying that the defense has to figure something out if this team is going to compete for anything. You’re not going to win any games giving up 300 yards on the ground.
The Panthers will try to tighten things up as they get ready for their first divisional game next week against the Faclons.
