Winners and losers from Carolina’s stunning loss to Caleb Williams, DJ Moore and the

Things went wrong for the Carolina Panthers on Sunday afternoon.

After both teams punted, a 38-yard touchdown run by Chuba Hubbard gave the Panthers a brief 7-0 lead, but Carolina’s offense was hampered from then on by an ineffective Bears unit. Chicago’s lead grew to 30-7 late in the third quarter, a mass destruction that erased much of the promise the Carolina Panthers had shown in recent weeks. Let’s talk about the winners and losers of the afternoon.

Caleb Williams, D’Andre Swift and DJ Moore

The Bears’ triples had their way with Carolina’s patchwork defense. In particular, Williams and Moore, two offensive weapons who obviously have history with the Panthers, had banner afternoons. The Bears’ QB1/WR1 combination scored five times for 105 yards and two scores, making a mess of a team that consciously chose Bryce Young. Swift contributed 119 all-purpose yards and a score as Carolina’s rushing defense was unsuccessful in its attempts to bring him down.

Chuba Hubabrd

Hubbard is the only Panther offensive lineman who had a day worth discussing.

His long touchdown to open the score was the only bright spot on offense, but even in a game that wasn’t close for the majority, Hubbard still managed 93 yards on the ground. His determination in the backfield is a perfect fit for Carolina’s offensive line, but if the defense can’t stop them, the offense can’t continue to rely on the run. Canales has committed to being “stubborn” when it comes to running the ball, but his defense makes that impossible.

A game-ending fumble put a damper on Hubbard’s big day, but it shouldn’t detract from an otherwise impressive performance.

Trevin Wallace

Wallace’s debut went as advertised. The rookie linebacker racked up 15 tackles, including two key tackles on consecutive third and fourth downs before halftime. The Panthers need a defensive leader who can step up as Shaq Thompson reaches the end of his career, and Wallace is ready to become that.

Jalen Coker

Have a nice day, Rook. Coker made his first NFL catch late in the first half and continued his performance in cleanup duty. The Holy Cross product led the team in receiving on the afternoon, showcasing the skills that made him the league’s most sought-after undrafted free agent. Coker’s success is a victory for all draft sufferers out there.

Injured players

Jadeveon Clowney, Tommy Tremble, DJ Johnson and other Panthers left Saturday’s game with injuries. A weakened defense continues to take hits week after week, making it impossible for Ejiro Evero to prove his worth as a defensive coordinator.

Front seven

The Panthers’ front seven failed to slow the Bears’ rushing attack. D’Andre Swift and Co. faced a massive test early in the season as Chicago’s offense struggled to move the ball on the floor. The Bears averaged more than four yards per carry on the afternoon, breaking tackle after tackle and destroying the Carolina defense.

Andy Dalton

Dalton’s magic carpet ride crashed in the Windy City. One of the best NFL stories to start the season failed to move the ball in Chicago. Dalton finished the game 18/28 for 136 yards and one interception, failing to even halve his output against Vegas and Cincinnati. His magnetic connection with Diontae Johnson failed to shine and he targeted promising freshman Xavier Legette just once all afternoon. Credit must go to the Bears defense as they had Dalton in the mix from the first moment. Chicago’s defensive unit is one of the strongest in the league and they gritted their teeth all afternoon.

Dalton was benched for Bryce Young as the game spiraled out of control, a minor setback to end an afternoon that left him bruised and battered.

Offensive weapons

Where were Johnson, Legette and Jonathan Mingo? The Bears defense was masterful at slowing the Panthers’ ascendant offense. Dave Canales’ attempts to open his guns were unsuccessful, and it showed. This afternoon in Chicago was reminiscent of the Frank Reich era, which was characterized by offensive struggles. When Carolina had the ball on offense, things looked so good. What happened? The film will tell the story later in the week, but at first glance, nothing was going right on the Panthers’ offense.

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