Winning the first game of the season is a great way to start, but it doesn’t necessarily dictate the way your year will go. In 2025, the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots both lost in Week 1—and still wound up playing each other in the Super Bowl.
The Carolina Panthers got blown out in their 2026 opener, losing a wild shootout against the Chicago Bears that got away from them in the second half. Along the way, they allowed 59 points to go with 291 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. That put them back at the very bottom of the NFL in run defense, bringing up memories of their historically-bad 2024 season.
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However, since that Week 1 collapse, Carolina’s defense has actually been pretty good.
The details are impressive since Week 2—including ranking second in scoring defense, fifth in yards per play and 10th versus the run . . .
