You might as well start swinging when you’re getting punked on the scoreboard.
Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson rumbled to his second touchdown, putting an exclamation point on the Bears’ 26-point mollywhopping of the visiting Carolina Panthers. Seconds later, various Panthers and Bears clashed in the end zone, cumulating in Safety Jaycee Horn’s ejection for unsportsmanlike conduct.
If the Panthers’ defense had that same energy and aggression for the Bears 56 minutes prior, they probably would have put the team in a position to win or at least have a respectable performance in a loss.
Here are more observations from Carolina’s demoralizing 36-10 loss at Soldier Field.
Turning Away From The Run Game
Chubba Hubbard opened the scoring with a 34-yard touchdown and posted a respectable 97 yards on 13 attempts. The Panthers averaged 6.3 yards per carry. However, Panthers head coach Dave Canales decided to abandon the run when they were down by double digits in the first half.
Granted, it’s tempting to hunt for the momentum-shifting play downfield, but switching up and abandoning the run when there were opportunities to solidify further and establish it made no sense.
Had Carolina committed to the run, it would have saved an already wounded and deleted defense minutes on the field.
Nonexistent Defense
When the unit was relativity healthy, the unit struggled to hold its own, especially against the run. A big part of that is the Panthers don’t have the edge rushers to effectively run a 3-4 base. Without a consistent presence on the edges, it is tough to defend the run consistently.
Now that Carolina is sustaining multiple injuries within the unit, defense is almost an afterthought. Opposing offenses will continue to attack a vulnerable front seven on the ground. The secondary, while a bit stronger in comparison, have conceded and will continue to concede their share of big plays. Injuries are out of the defense’s control. However, they can control how they establish their presence and execute.
Wrong Words
In the postgame, Canales said that the injuries that the offensive line sustained played a part in playing Bryce Young in garbage time. Not because he wanted Young to get some developmental reps in. Not to monitor his progress. He just wanted to protect Andy Dalton.
Canales’ comment is revealing. It’s indicative of Young being expendable and cutting their losses is very likely.
When asked about his end-game run and whether or not it lights a fire under him, Young said that he was not externally motivated.
If Young isn’t externally motivated, what is his motivation? The decision for garbage time minutes and being out there like a shield for Dalton might be external, but how could that situation not motivate Young? How could he not take that personally?
I’m curious if this is Young being stoic. I understand having to and wanting to be calm. However, there’s nothing wrong with appropriate anger and using that as fuel.
The optics of the kerfuffle at the end of the game looked odd, but it was understandable. The Panthers once again got punched in the mouth and lost every fight between those 100 yards. They were once again embarrassed, and there was nothing they could do about it but to take a swing.
UNC Continues to Shine into the Final Stretch