Analysis: Panthers never fixed the mistakes that hurt them in win streak. It cost them
With 5:12 remaining Sunday, the Carolina Panthers had the ball at their own 17-yard line down one score to the Chicago Bears.
After making it into Chicago territory, the offense came to grinding halt at the Bears’ 38-yard line with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater failing to connect with an open DJ Moore on fourth-and-2.
Despite that, the Panthers still got the ball back one last time. The Bears went three-and-out on the ensuing possession, gifting Carolina the ball with 1:32 remaining at their own 20-yard line.
But again, another miscue from Bridgewater, with a pass intended for Moore picked off by DeAndre Houston-Carson and ending the game.
“I know that everybody on the team really believed that was going to be the drive that in which we were going to score, tie up the game and ultimately end up trying to win the game towards the end, whether it’s overtime or however it shaped up,” Panthers left tackle Russell Okung said. “The belief was there, we just weren’t able to execute and deliver as an offense at the end.”
Throughout the Week 6 game against the Bears, lingering issues that have chased the Panthers during the first five weeks of the season — red zone offense and penalties — were on full display.
Carolina trailed by 14 in the fourth quarter and Chicago gave the Panthers every opportunity to get back in the game, but their inexperience and missing injured players against one of the league’s best defenses were too much to overcome in a 23-16 loss to the Bears at Bank of America Stadium, dropping them out of first place in the NFC South.
“We can sit here and point out red zone third down, not running the ball, me having to run, things like that. It just comes down to execution. And we didn’t execute well,” Bridgewater said. “We didn’t play our best football. We have guys on this team who can make plays, guys who step up and make plays, and they’ve been making plays all year, we just didn’t execute well today. And when you play a good football team just the room and the margin of error is very thin. And I’m pretty sure we learned that today.”
Coming into the game against the Bears, head coach Matt Rhule mentioned the red zone and third downs, specifically within opponents’ 20-yard lines, as areas that the offense needed to improve.
But without receiver Curtis Samuel — out with a knee injury — who came into the game tied for the league lead in third-down receptions (11), and never getting on track after an ugly start to the game, those very issues ended up costing the Panthers.
The offense came into the game sixth in the league in third downs, but converted just 3 of 13— compared to the Bears’ 7 of 14— and went 1 of 3 in the red zone. Chicago came into the game leading the league in opponent red zone-touchdown percentage and that showed with the Panthers resorting to Joey Slye field goals from 20 and 21 yards in the first half.
The Panthers lead the league in red zone plays with 92, but also have the most field goals kicked within opponents’ 20-yard line (11).
Penalties were a big factor for both teams, combining for 18, including eight by the Panthers. On the Panthers’ only touchdown drive of the game (a 1-yard run by Mike Davis that was the Panthers’ only red zone play of the second half), they were assisted by 49 free yards of penalties on a 75-yard drive.
With the offense never getting in a rhythm, Bridgewater had his worst game of the season, completing 16-of-29 passes for 216 yards and two interceptions — on his first and final pass attempts. He did not throw a single completion in the red zone.
After not allowing Bridgewater to get sacked in Weeks 4 and 5, the Panthers gave up four sacks vs. the Bears and the quarterback was forced to scramble more than he had in any other game this year.
“I think from the very beginning, credit to Chicago, we were under duress. Teddy ran the ball more than I’ve seen him run the ball. He was having to extend plays with his feet. Their pressure gave us problems at times and (we) just could never quite get into sync,” Rhule said. “There were times we’re running routes and guys were not where they’re supposed to be, running the wrong route. I just thought it was a global issue today offensively.”
Carolina’s offensive issues started on the first drive with the game, getting the Panthers off to the worst possible start. Tight end Chris Manhertz was called for a illegal double-team block on the opening kickoff. Then Panthers then lost yardage on their first two snaps, including a sack on Bridgewater that could have been called for a safety, before Tashaun Gipson picked him off the next play, giving the Bears the ball at Carolina’s 7-yard line.
Three plays later, Nick Foles found Cole Kmet in the end zone for the first points of the day.
In the first half, the Panthers ran 12 plays — outside of two successful field-goal attempts — inside the Bears’ 20-yard line, but only one went for more than five yards. That included the Panthers getting an additional opportunity when the Bears jumped offside on a fourth-down play to give the Panthers a first down at the Chicago 3-yard line. They still settled for the 20-yard Slye field goal instead of going for it on fourth-and-2 from the two-yard line four plays later to make the score 10-6.
But Chicago responded with a field goal to end the first half, going up 13-6.
“I just thought it would be best to take the points. Had it been fourth-and-1, I would have gone for it there. Then they came down, and credit to them, they came down and answered in two minute and then kicked the field goal as time expired, so they negated our field goal,” Rhule said. “The way I looked at it, we were not playing real well in the first half. We were playing tight, like a team that was feeling like, hey, we have to find a way to win this game as opposed to just relaxing and playing.
“I thought getting some energy going into the locker room would be a good thing, credit to them, they answered.”
The start of the second half didn’t go well for the offense, either.
Davis fumbled for the first time this season — and the second time in his career — on the first drive of the third quarter, forced by Eddie Jackson. But on the following play, Foles threw a pass intended for wide receiver Demetrius Harris that was picked off by Jeremy Chinn — the first of his career. Pressure by Panthers rookie Derrick Brown forced a bad throw by Foles.
The Panthers lost nine yards on the exchange of possessions, but at first seemed to capitalize, with Robby Anderson making an impressive 39-yard diving catch to get the offense past midfield. But then Bridgewater then took a delay of game penalty and was sacked for the third time on the following play. The drive ended two plays later with a missed 54-yard field-goal attempt by Slye.
Drops occurred often, including by Moore, who had a mixed game leading the Panthers’ receivers with five receptions for 93 yards, but was targeted 11 times.
The defense played fine overall, improving on run defense woes that have been an issue as of late, allowing the Bears to rush for just 63 yards, the first time the Panthers have held an opponent under 100 this season, and got pressure on Foles — including three quarterback hits by Brian Burns — but had zero sacks in the game and costly penalties.
The unit did step up at the end of the game, forcing the Bears to punt twice late in the fourth quarter, but the offense was unable to capitalize.
“We were knocked off course from the opening kickoff and it was like we never really got back on track, so we’re going to learn from today,” Bridgewater said. “Like I told some of the guys in the locker room, this game can humble you so I think a game like today is good for us. We can learn from it – never want to experience what happened today again – and try to move forward.”
This story was originally published October 18, 2020 at 2:43 PM with the headline "Analysis: Panthers never fixed the mistakes that hurt them in win streak. It cost them."
