The Good. The Bad. The Ugly. Can The Panthers Get Better?

The Carolina Panthers opened the 2026 season with a 59-37 loss to the Chicago Bears — a game that produced 96 combined points, the highest-scoring season opener in NFL history. In this episode of Two Growls One Roar, we break down the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from a shootout that saw Carolina put up 37 points and still lose by 22.The Good: Bryce Young turned in the best season debut of his career — 361 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and a rushing score. Jalen Coker exploded for a career-high 138 yards and 2 touchdowns on 8 catches, and the offense clawed back from a 21-7 deficit to tie the game before Chicago pulled away.The Bad: 11 penalties for 84 yards, a third-down defense that let Chicago convert 10-of-14, and 552 total yards allowed. The Ugly: three Panthers turnovers — a muffed punt, a Tetairoa McMillan fumble, and a Bryce Young interception — fed 17 Chicago points, while D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai combined for 224 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns.We're also going deep on the locker room reaction, with real audio and quotes from Monday's availability. Princely Umanmielen called it "a really undisciplined game." Dave Canales broke down exactly where the team fell short in his full film-review evaluation. And we're spending extra time on Bobby Brown III — because twice in his presser, he gets right up to the edge of pointing at the coaching staff's game plan and stops himself mid-sentence. We pulled both clips with timestamps so you can hear it for yourself.Plus: Jalen Coker was spotted in a walking boot Monday after playing through a rolled ankle from the first quarter, the Panthers elevated LB Tyrel Dodson from the practice squad to the active roster, and we close out with a full PFF report card — including the surprising defender who graded out highest on the day, and the two starters who played the most snaps but graded the worst.Carolina heads to Atlanta next Sunday for an NFC South divisional matchup. Subscribe for full Panthers coverage all season long, and hit the bell so you never miss a breakdown.