The Carolina Panthers entered the 2025 season hoping to build on the offensive progress they showed late last year. Instead, their regular season opener looked like a harsh reset.
In a 26-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, it wasn’t just one problem that sank Carolina, it was a mix of self-inflicted mistakes, sloppy execution, and missed opportunities on both sides of the ball.
And at the center of it all was quarterback Bryce Young, visibly losing his composure in a rare moment of public frustration.
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Turnovers and Missed Chances
GettyCarolina Panthers QB Bryce Young
Young’s struggles began early. He threw a costly first half interception and later fumbled, mistakes that directly led to 10 Jaguars points. Those giveaways erased any chance of rhythm and immediately put the defense in difficult spots.
Carolina nearly caught a break in the fourth quarter when a pick six was wiped out by a Jaguars penalty, only for Young to throw another interception on the very next series. That miscue sealed the Panthers fate and underscored how thin their margin for error really was.
Turnovers weren’t the only problem. When the Panthers finally built momentum to open the second half, their best chance to close the gap fell apart in the red zone. Facing fourth and 1, Young had no receiver open and had to throw the ball away.
As he came to the sideline afterward, the usually composed quarterback spiked his helmet on the bench, brushing off encouragement from head coach Dave Canales. That moment summed up Carolina’s afternoon – close calls with nothing to show for them.
The offense unraveled in other ways too. Dropped passes killed drives. Penalties erased first downs, including an ineligible man downfield call on center Austin Corbett. Even basic snaps looked shaky, arriving before Young was ready.
A Teamwide Collapse
GettyCarolina Panthers Qb Bryce Young and RB Chubba Hubbard
Defensively, the Panthers didn’t do much to cover for the offense’s miscues. Missed tackles and communication breakdowns gave Jacksonville easy yards, while Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne kept the game comfortably out of reach.
For most of the afternoon, Carolina’s only points came from rookie kicker Ryan Fitzgerald’s 48 yard field goal. Young finally connected with Chuba Hubbard for a late touchdown in garbage time.
Young finished just 9 of 19 for 62 yards with no touchdowns before garbage time, and a passer rating of 33.2. While he shoulders part of the blame, it was far from a one man collapse. Carolina looked unprepared across the board, from sideline adjustments to execution on the field.
It’s only Week 1, and the NFC South remains wide open. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints, and Atlanta Falcons all come with their own question marks, which gives the Panthers a legitimate chance to stay in the division race if they can rebound quickly.
Still, the loss raises difficult questions about whether they’re truly ready to take a step forward under Canales, or if the frustrations of 2024 are destined to repeat themselves.
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