Carolina Panthers coach Dave Canales said the team needed to study film before assigning blame after a 59-37 loss to the Chicago Bears that exposed costly mistakes on both sides of the ball. After watching the tape Monday, Canales said the Panthers played hard and with effort but did not play smart, citing penalties, poor technique and other mental errors that undermined execution.
The Bears produced 552 net yards, the third-most in the Super Bowl era, and rushed for 291 yards as part of a 59-point output that was the most the Panthers have allowed in franchise history, according to ESPN. Chicago scored six rushing touchdowns in the opener, the most in a season debut since 1922, according to ESPN Research. Quarterback Caleb Williams accounted for 269 passing yards and two touchdowns for a 124.1 traditional passer rating, while three different players contributed rushing touchdowns.
Carolina’s miscues included two lost fumbles by offense and special teams, an interception by Bryce Young that ended the first half, and a failed fourth-down attempt late in the third quarter. Canales pointed to turnovers and penalties as primary issues; the team was flagged 11 times for 84 yards, and the timing of several infractions proved costly. Team captain Derrick Brown was penalized twice, once for roughing the passer that led to a touchdown and once for offside that wiped away an interception by Bobby Brown III, with Brown saying such mistakes cannot happen.
The result continued a stretch of struggles for coordinator Ejiro Evero’s defense. In 52 regular-season games under Evero, the unit has allowed a 26.7 points-per-game average, the highest in the league over that span, and ranks 26th with 345.9 yards allowed per game. The defense also ranks second-worst in defensive EPA at minus-250.9 points and has the highest Total QBR allowed at 58.3, according to ESPN Research. During the Evero era, the Panthers sit last in point and yardage margin averages per game, per the same data.
Canales said he likes the system and scheme and has seen it work at a high level, but emphasized the need to execute the plan and eliminate the timely mistakes that prevented the team from playing the championship-level football it seeks.
