WRAP UP: Panthers fall 26-10 against Jaguars in season opener

JACKSONVILLE, FL (CAROLINA SPORTS LIVE) — Miscues, missed opportunities, and misery. Sunday wasn’t the season opener that the Carolina Panthers, nor their fans, wanted to see.

Trevor Lawrence, Travis Hunter, and the rest of the Jacksonville Jaguars controlled the entire game from kickoff at Everbank Stadium, winning 26-10. A game that also had an hour and 16-minute weather delay due to lightning.

Jacksonville would start with the ball and kept chipping away at Ejiro Evero’s new look defense, little by little. A sequence that wouldn’t just end with one of Cam Little’s four field goals, but also the loss of new Panthers defensive end Turk Wharton. He’d leave the game with a knee injury to return for a few plays. He was then ruled out in the second quarter, which proved to be a major loss for Carolina.

The Jags would continue to chip away while Panthers QB Bryce Young just couldn’t find any rhythm. Carolina’s third-year signal caller would be held to 18 of 35 passing for 154 yards. Questionable decision-making had Bryce throw two interceptions on record. He did throw a third, but it was called back on a Jacksonville flag.

This wasn’t just the season opener for both teams. It was also the Etienne Bowl.

Older brother Travis will have the bragging rights for a while. After all, he dashed the Panthers for 143 yards on the ground with another 13 coming from the air. His brother Trevor did return kicks today for the Black & Blue. He entered the game on offense a few times, getting just one rush for four yards.

The lone bright spot for Carolina Sunday had to be the emergence of its first-round pick, WR Tetairoa McMillan. The rookie finished with five catches for 68 yards on nine targets. While he did come close to scoring, he’d end the day without a score, but did show he could bring out the best in Bryce Young.

Carolina’s defense will have work to do before gearing up again next week. Giving up 378 total yards isn’t going to win you many games.

The Panthers will now travel to Glendale to take on the 1-0 Arizona Cardinals in Week Two.