The Panthers struggled and the roster is in shambles after a bevy of injuries.
The Carolina Panthers were thoroughly outclassed by the Chicago Bears and lost in the Windy City, 36-10. To make matters worse, about six starters left the game due to injuries, and their status is in doubt going forward.
First Quarter
The game got off to an absolutely riveting start. Chuba Hubbard ran for five yards on the first play of scrimmage, but those were the only yards the Panthers would gain. The Bears punted it right back after a near interception by Jaycee Horn and a sack by Charles Harris.
The second drive had more fireworks. Diontae Johnson had a couple of carries, including one to convert a 4th and 1. On the next play, Chuba Hubbard burst through a gaping hole up the middle and scored from 38 yards out.
That lead was short lived. The Bears marched right back down the field to set up their own long touchdown. Caleb Williams found DJ Moore wide open down the right side of the field for a 34 yard touchdown. The offense couldn’t respond and quickly punted back to the Bears .
Second Quarter
The Bears drove down the field in small bits and pieces to set up the go ahead and eventual game winning touchdown. They had a D’Andre Swift touchdown nullified by a penalty, but the Panthers committed their own penalty to move the ball in close again. Roschon Johnson eventually got the goal line touch that he converted into a touchdown.
The Panthers quickly punted the ball back, but the defense bailed them out with a fourth down stuff near midfield. The offense couldn’t capitalize though. On their third play, Tommy Tremble fumbled and it was recovered by the Bears. This time the defense couldn’t hold. Swift took a short pass and ran it all the way down to the two yard line. He was rewarded with a touchdown carry a couple of plays later.
Raheem Blackshear took the ensuing kickoff out to the 43 yard line to give the Panthers great starting field position. That drive also stalled out just across midfield when Dalton couldn’t connect with Diontae Johnson on fourth down. The Bears again marched down the field with ease and ended the drive with a touchdown pass to DJ Moore.
Dalton found Jalen Coker down the left side for a 31 yard gain to set the Panthers up for what would have been an unlikely scoring drive to end the half. They set Eddy Pineiro up for a 45 yard field goal, but he hooked it to the left. The half ended with the Panthers down 27-7.
Third Quarter
The defense got some help from a Bears holding penalty to force a three and out. They didn’t do anything with it though, as Dalton was intercepted looking for Jonathan Mingo deep down the middle of the field. Williams picked apart the Panthers defense on the way to the end zone, but a clipping penalty nullified the score and limited the Bears to the a field goal.
The Panthers picked up yards in chunks on their own field goal drive. Diontae Johnson drew a long pass interference call then Jonathan Mingo caught a deep ball and actually didn’t fumble despite the Bears best efforts. A drop by Ja’Tavion Sanders on third down drew Pineiro on for a short field goal.
Another Bears penalty short circuited their drive and led to a punt. Hubbard started the Panthers possession and ended the third quarter with a chunk run over the right side.
Fourth Quarter
The Panthers worked into Bears territory with a nice sideline catch by Johnson, but it was blown up by a third down sack that forced a punt. DJ Moore helped his old team out by dropping a pass that made the Bears punt it right back, but Hubbard fumbled after a short catch to give the Bears the ball just outside the red zone. It only a few plays for Roschon Johnson to punch it in. There was a scuffle after the play and Jaycee Horn was ejected, presumably to save himself from the injury bug that was ravaging the Panthers all day.
With the game effectively over, Bryce Young got himself some snaps. He found Miles Sanders deep down the sideline on his first play in the game. He hit Jalen Coker for a couple of intermediate passes to move the Panthers into the red zone. It wouldn’t result in points though. Young was stopped one yard short of the first down on a third down scramble then was sacked on fourth down.
Overview
Taylor Moton, Austin Corbett, Xavier Legette, Tommy Tremble, and Jadeveon Clowney all left the game with injuries and did not return. Stay tuned this week for updates on their statuses.
It was an overall demoralizing day for Carolina. The game was marred by individual mistakes, be it drops, penalties, or missed assignments. Injury was added to that insult with a handful of important starters filing out of the game and into the blue medical tent.
The Panthers will try to bounce back next week at home against the Falcons.