It happened. The Carolina Panthers, in their season opener yesterday against the Chicago Bears, gave up a mind-numbing 59 points. Not only is that the most points allowed in Panthers franchise history, but combined with their own 37 points, it turned into the highest scoring Week 1 game in NFL history. It was supposedly a loving, if totally misguided, tribute to legendary former linebacker Luke Kuechly who just entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year, having famously worn jersey #59. But instead of honoring his “stout, athletic, and cerebral” play, the Panthers defense seemed to actively keep anything resembling those traits off the field. What in the world was that?
The Defense Was an Absolute Train Wreck
Seriously, you’d think the Panthers were trying to set records for all the wrong reasons. Giving up 59 points in Week 1 is just bonkers. If you told me two days ago Bryce Young was throwing for 361 yards and four touchdowns, I’d have been stoked for Carolina’s chances. But nope. Baffling penalties, turnovers at the worst possible times, and an utterly embarrassing defensive effort turned what should have been a shootout into a firing squad. Look, opening against one of the league’s top offenses with your third-string outside linebacker isn’t easy, and having multiple defensive starters who weren’t even with the team in training camp makes it even tougher. You expect to struggle containing scrambles or holding the edge. But four touchdowns out of eight surrendered coming on plays of twenty yards or more? That’s not tough sledding, that’s an avalanche. Caleb Williams, D’Andre Swift, and Kyle Monangai absolutely torched them on the ground for 289 combined rushing yards and six touchdowns. Williams averaged 6.6 yards per attempt, Swift 6.9, and Monangai a crazy 10.0! If Ejiro Evero’s seat wasn’t hot before this game, it’s scorching now. There were tiny flashes of pressure and good linebacker play, and the secondary held Colston Loveland, the expected superstar tight end, to two targets and zero catches. So, yeah, the talent might be there, but they need the traditional four to five weeks to get it together. I hope.
Bryce Young Showed Out, But What About the Return Game?
While the defense was busy setting records for futility, Bryce Young and the offense were actually out there cooking! Young blasted a mile ahead of his career average game, captaining the offense to 37 points with 361 passing yards and four touchdowns. That’s a performance that should win you a game most weeks. It’s a huge positive to take away from such a painful loss. But hey, Jimmy Horn, Jr. on returns? Nah, man. That wasn’t it. If we see another week of that, the Panthers need to start looking for some fresh blood in the return game.
So, the Panthers are 0-1, but the season is just getting started. Can that defense pull itself together in the next few weeks and become the unit we know it can be, or will Evero’s job really be on the line early? It’s a long road ahead, but Bryce Young’s arm gives them something to fight with every Sunday.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Cat Scratch Reader.
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