Happy Labor Day, and happy week 1 of the NFL season! Training camp is over, the roster has been cut down to 53, and the Panthers are ready to kickoff the season at 1 pm against the Bears! Coming off their first playoff appearance since 2017, there are some high hopes for this season, as there should be! The Carolina Panthers got better in the offseason, particularly on defense and we could finally see the Evero defense fully come together, while the offense is hoping to build off of some of what we saw last year, with a hopefully healthy Jonathan Brooks and an ever improving Bryce Young. The first team the Panthers will face in their pursuit of their first winning season since in 10 years will be the Chicago Bears, who I think is a favorable matchup for this Panthers team.
The Carolina offense obviously hopes to take a step forward this year. Last year they ranked 26th in EPA per play, and 27th in yards per game. That NEEDS to be better if the Panthers want to succeed this year. The Bears defense is going to be a good matchup for this offense. They have virtually no pass rush (us Panther fans know that feeling too well) and a banged up secondary with Coby Bryant and Kyler Gordon both out for a while. The Panthers offense tends to struggle early in the season, so this will be a great matchup for them to come out swinging. Jonathan Brooks, who as of now is questionable for week 1 but expected to be good to go, will be the X factor in my opinion. He will allow Bryce Young to have an easy out if there is nothing open down the field, and he has the ability to make people miss in the open field, something the Panthers haven’t had in a running back since CMC was in Charlotte. But this is a game where I would hope the Panthers and new playcaller Brad Idzik attempt to throw it down the field a bit more. T-Mac will be in the slot a bit more, allowing him to be in the middle of the field more often. Jalen Coker will continue his success from late last year and the playoffs and I think he will be much more of a household name this year, and it starts in week 1, where I expect him to have AT LEAST 1 touchdown catch. For the Panthers to have success, they need to attack this banged up Bears secondary and really have Bryce control the game. Last year, they relied on time of possession and the run game, which became their downfall later in the year. This is a game where if they attack over the top, I expect them to have success.
The defense is where I have more questions, and this says more about the Bears than it does the Panthers. With a Ben Johnson led offense, the Bears offense scares me. Caleb Williams has continued to come into his own and the combo of D’Andre Swift/Kyle Monongai will be a great rushing attack. This concern for the Panthers defense mostly comes from the fact that we don’t know what to expect. 2 years removed from the worst defense in league history, the expectations for this group have risen drastically. They were about league average last year, with big holes at linebacker and the pass rush. They addressed both during the offseason, getting Devin Lloyd to be the green dot and Jaelan Phillips at edge rusher, getting the best player at their respective positions in free agency is huge. The Panthers also made a splash and cut former 2024 third round pick Trevin Wallace and signed Bobby Okereke to be the LB2, who is not amazing but absolutely an upgrade. With Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson back with an improved pass rush and linebacker room, hopefully the defense can be less reliant on turnovers and can actually get stops and force more negative plays, but with them going up against a high powered offense, I have some doubts for week 1. The biggest question will be if the Tight Ends will be covered. Last year, offenses exploited the middle of the field and more specifically, the TE was usually wide open for at least 7-10 free yards. Colston Loveland is going to be a tough matchup, but I expect better results from a much improved LB room.
This game is going to be led by the 2 offenses, and the battle of the young QB’s will be the difference. I hope this ends up being a game of 2 players being in the OPOY conversation, with Young and Williams, but it is far too early to be talking that way. This game comes down to whether or not the Panther offense, and Bryce Young, can buck the trend of starting slow and looking abysmal, which I think they will. Like I said, this is a perfect matchup for the Panthers against a poor Chicago defense that just can’t seem to get healthy. I expect BY9 to have a big game, with T-Mac and Jalen Coker solidifying themselves as one of top receiving duos in the league and the run game getting back to a respectable level after the drop off late last year. The defense will hold when it matters, but don’t expect them to play lights out, as the Chicago offense is certainly good enough to move the ball on anyone. Come back next week to see the recap, and see whether or not I have to eat my words! My prediction for week 1 is a Panthers win in Charlotte against the Bears 30-27.
Talking Sportsball 