How can you score 37 points in an NFL game and still lose by three scores? Well, that's something the Carolina Panthers have to figure out after Sunday, where they ate a 59-37 defeat at the hands of the Chicago Bears at Bank of America Stadium.
But before they dive into the tape, we have a pretty decent idea of why the wild, record-breaking outing unfolded the way it did.
Here are our biggest takeaways from the Panthers' season-opening performance . . .
Not bad, Brad
We'll start with the good news.
In his first regular-season game as an NFL play-caller, Panthers offensive coordinator Brad Idzik had his unit moving. Carolina amassed 478 total yards, reached the end zone five times and converted on four of their nine third-down tries.
Head coach Dave Canales, who
handed the duties over to Idzik following his two seasons with the sheet, commended his buddy on a productive debut.
"I thought the rhythm was good," Canales told reporters. "Getting us into concepts that we're comfortable with and finding some explosive plays—while they were infrequent, there wasn't a lot of them—we found some and we moved the ball.
"I was really pleased with the way Brad managed the calls—got it in in timely fashion and made it cohesive for the offense and for Bryce [Young] and all that."
Quarterback Bryce Young, after throwing for the second-most yards in his career (361) and scoring four touchdowns, also praised Idzik.
"Brad did a great job," Young told reporters. "I thought that the communication was great, on-the-sideline communication was great. I think he did a greta job calling it. It's on us to make some more stuff come to life for him."
By no means is the Bears defense the ultimate test for an offense. Nonetheless, Sunday's output was a refreshing start for a unit that had struggled to find themselves for the previous handful of years.
Sorry, Evero
Unlike his fellow play-caller, Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero didn't seem to have many answers—as his group allowed the most points in franchise history.
Chicago's 59-burger was propped up by 552 yards and a 71.4-percent success rate (10-of-14) on third down. And it was their rushing attack that pummeled the Panthers into submission, as they ran for 291 yards and six touchdowns on 39 carries.
Canales was asked if he had concerns about his and/or Evero's preparation for the Bears offense.
"It was an incredible day by the Bears," he replied. "I can't wait to watch the film so I can get to the heart of what that was. What I do know is—17 points off turnovers doesn't equal 59 points. And we could've helped that.
"We could've not extended drives with penalties. There were some things that we gave a really good offense more opportunities—they don't need any more opportunities, they were creating their own. And that's something that, collectively, we have to make sure we take care of."
Now, yes, the Bears and head coach Ben Johnson run one heck of a machine on offense. But 59 points good? That's simply unacceptable.
Carolina's showing on defense was quite a letdown, especially after signing linebackers Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd to a combined $162 million this offseason. Their stinker will also put Evero, who has faced his fair share of criticism over the last few seasons, under a brighter spotlight already.
Clean it up, fellas
As alluded to by Canales, the Panthers' offering was not completely clean—on any side of the ball.
The offense missed some opportunities, with the fourth-quarter fumble from wideout Tetairoa McMillan chief among them. Fellow receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. also fumbled away a possession earlier in the game on a muffed punt. Plus, by game's end, Carolina was tagged for 11 penalties.
Yes, this loss falls primarily on the shoulders of Evero and his defense. The team as a whole, however, wasn't up to snuff to begin the new campaign.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Biggest takeaways from the Panthers' wild Week 1 loss to Bears
