Panthers vs Bears Game Review: Hasty generalizations

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 13: Bryce Young #9 of the Carolina Panthers celebrates touchdown with Jalen Coker #18 against the Chicago Bears during the third quarter of the game at Bank of America Stadium on September 13, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The full story of an NFL season is not written after a single game. Even one where you are force fed a 50-burger in your own stadium. It was a hard one to stomach for anyone rooting for the Carolina Panthers, but despite a lopsided final score and number of concerning takeaways, it's probably the best start to a season in the last 5 years.

If I had to sum up the reason why, it's that even when things looked bad, they still looked competitive. We are all mindful that that is a shamefully low bar, but the point remains that it's a vast improvement over what has been the recent quality of football coming out of Charlotte, North Carolina.

So, let us all not jump to the conclusions that we may want to after a single week. Even if this one week stirs up some still unresolved trauma from the 2024 Panthers defense that allowed almost 32 points per game. Let us look on the bright side and decide that even if the Panthers defense is that bad, scoring 37 points a game means the Panthers will still win an average football game.

Feel better yet?

No? Then in the spirit of overreacting to Week 1, let's make some hasty generalizations based on what we saw on Sunday afternoon.

Jalen Coker will be the best Panthers receiver of all time

A receiver putting up 8 receptions for 138 yards and 2 touchdowns a game? That's 136 catches for 2,346 yards and 34 touchdowns in a whole season. Make room Steve Smith, there's another triple-crown winner coming through. He doesn't even need separation to make it happen, either. According to NFL's NextGenStats, Coker only had an average 1.9 yards of separation at the time of catch or incompletion - 8th worst total in the league.

The Offensive Line is the most consistent in the entire NFL

If you thought that both tackles being out for Week 1 and starting a new budget free agent acquisition at center was going to be a problem, you were wrong. In fact, the Panthers offense line looked about as good as it possibly could have given the circumstances as no starter had a run blocking or pass blocking grade considered below average. Hats off to the winners of PFF's Offensive Line of the Week.

Give Bryce Young all of the money

If Baker Mayfield is going to sign for 3 years, $165 million to only put up 217 yards and 0 touchdowns, surely Bryce Young's 361 passing yards and 4 total touchdowns must be worth $60 million a year? Young is currently 3rd in the NFL in passing yards, tied for 2nd in passing touchdowns and top 10 in a bevy of other important stats including EPA/Play (9th - +0.27), completion % over expected (9th - 6.6%), yards per attempt (4th - 9.3) and average depth of target (10th - 9.8 yards).

Strip Derrick Brown of his captaincy

The Bears scored 8 touchdowns, but 2 of them came on the back of some rough decisions from one of the purported team stalwarts. Mistake number one was leveling Caleb William's on cheap shot that was flagged for unnecessary roughness after a throwaway that ultimately turned a 3rd and 20 into 1st and goal. I can almost forgive that one as William's must have been immensely frustrating to deal with the entire afternoon. Williams had nearly a 20% completion percentage over expected and had 10 scrambles for 65 yards and 2 rushing touchdowns. Every time they though they had him, he pulled a Houdini act to get away.

But you know what is unforgivable?

Taking away a big man interception because you lined up offsides. Do you know how rare it is for a 332 lb defensive lineman to intercept a football? Neither do I, but I know it's not often, much less from the literal 1 yard line. A big man shows soft hands and a hero's heart to pluck a ball right out of the air in the Panther's time of most dire need - and it's called back because your helmet was over the line? Derrick Brown deserves a lot of love for what he has done for the Panthers, but this is an outrage that cannot be tolerated.

It's not all over yet and there is still plenty of road ahead on this journey. We'll see you next week after the Panthers take on the Atlanta Falcons. Until then, Keep Pounding