Grading Panthers’ Week 1 loss to Falcons: Turnovers, penalties ruin Bryce Young’s debut
An undisciplined season-opening performance by the Panthers led to a 24-10 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
While players like pass rusher Brian Burns and defensive tackle Derrick Brown flashed on defense, three turnovers from the Bryce Young-led offense put any hope of staying competitive in the fourth quarter out of reach. Ultimately, the squad crumpled under the pressure that comes with nine penalties for 66 yards and a trio of turnovers that led to the first 17 points for the Falcons.
Panthers head coach Frank Reich said players and coaches will have bad tastes in their mouths to start the week. Given the way things turned out in Atlanta, the Panthers could use mouthwash in a few areas of their operation.
Here is how we graded out the Panthers for loss to the Falcons:
Rushing offense
The Panthers’ rushing attack was up and down on Sunday. While Carolina picked up 154 yards (4.8 yards per carry) and a lost fumble on 32 runs, the numbers need context.
The offensive line did a nice job of opening up holes for the running backs on a consistent basis throughout the game. However, on a pair of major plays, the ground attack faltered.
On the opening series, the Panthers went for it on fourth-and-1 at the Atlanta 11-yard line, and the offense was subsequently stuffed behind the line forcing a turnover on downs. Then, in the third quarter, starting running back Miles Sanders coughed up a fumble that led to seven points for the Falcons.
Sanders was brought in to be the Panthers’ top back, and while that outlook should continue, he was outperformed by backup Chuba Hubbard against Atlanta. The fumble in a cylinder wasn’t a game-breaker for Carolina, but it did significantly compound Young’s turnover troubles.
Sanders finished the game with 72 rushing yards and a lost fumble on 18 carries (4 yards per carry). Hubbard collected 60 yards on nine carries, averaging an impressive 6.7 yards per rush. Hubbard produced three of the Panthers’ five explosive runs (Young had one and Sanders had the other) — carries of 10 yards or more — against Atlanta, including a 21-yard tote in the third quarter.
Again, the offensive line did a nice job of spreading out the trenches. It was a bounce-back performance for the big guys, but the overall group, and those two major letdown plays impact their final grade.
GRADE: B-
Passing offense
The grade for the passing game is again complicated by the offensive line’s performance and turnovers.
The offensive line did an exceptional job in pass protection through the first three quarters before ultimately cracking under the pressure of a two-score deficit. Left tackle Ickey Ekwonu, in particular, had an strong game outside of a false start penalty in the fourth quarter.
The Panthers only allowed one QB hit before the fourth quarter, but eventually the protection broke, and Young was hit six times and sacked twice in the final period. Overall, it felt like James Campen’s unit bounced back in a big way from the preseason, even with the final hit and sack numbers hanging on the box score.
But the real blemish within the passing game came from Young, who struggled in his NFL debut. Young didn’t look particularly sharp in his first showing, missing receivers and tossing a pair of near-identical interceptions to Falcons safety Jessie Bates. Those two turnovers led to 10 points for Atlanta in a 14-point game.
Young completed just 52.6% of his passes as the offense faltered following the three turnovers in the first three quarters. The first overall pick led just one touchdown-scoring drive and his two turnovers ultimately made a massive difference for the Falcons, who struggled to move the ball offensively otherwise in the first three quarters.
Young did have a few impressive moments during the game. After throwing his first pick, Young put together a pair of strong drives, spreading the ball around and showing poise in the pocket. Even after the second interception, Young didn’t seem to be flustered, which is a great sign for his future.
Reich and offensive coordinator Thomas Brown also deserve credit for mixing things up in the play design department. Young was constantly switching up targets, and the Panthers did a nice job of designing pistol formation plays that were hardly seen during the summer.
Still, 146 passing yards, a touchdown and two interceptions off 38 throws isn’t impressive no matter how you cut it. Young still has a bright outlook for the future, but this wasn’t a good showing.
Blame also somewhat falls on the receiving group, which was missing wideout DJ Chark. Throughout a few drives in the game, it felt like receivers were struggling to really break free from coverage. There also seemed to be a couple of miscommunications between Young and wideout Terrace Marshall.
GRADE: D
Rushing defense
The Panthers’ defense left a lot to be desired in the run-stopping department, especially after the Falcons regained the lead in the early fourth quarter.
Even without Cordarrelle Patterson in the lineup, the Falcons ran for 130 yards and two touchdowns on just 26 carries. First-round pick, running back Bijan Robinson, routinely gashed the Panthers, as he picked up 56 yards on just 10 carries. Fellow running back Tyler Allgeier scored twice and picked up 75 yards on 15 carries as well.
Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero had preached the need to stop the run throughout the summer. Well, on Sunday, his unit gave up four runs of 12 or more yards and two rushing touchdowns. Allgeier and Robinson each had a run of 20 or more yards on the day.
There were missed tackles and wide open running lanes throughout the second half. The Panthers need to figure out this longstanding problem — inherited by Evero’s staff this season — in a hurry.
GRADE: D-
Passing defense
Conversely, the defensive front did an excellent job of forcing immediate pressure.
Burns, in particular, had a monster first half with 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a forced holding penalty in the first two quarters. Brown, fellow defensive lineman Shy Tuttle and linebacker Frankie Luvu also got involved in creating pressure early on.
Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder was hit six times and sacked four times. Luvu had three QB hits by himself on the afternoon.
Also, while the Panthers lost cornerback Jaycee Horn to a hamstring injury in the second quarter, the coverage unit only gave up one passing play of over 20 yards — a 34-yard heave by Ridder to tight end Kyle Pitts in the fourth quarter.
Ridder finished 15 of 18 for 115 yards and a touchdown. But those numbers need further context, as Ridder’s first completion was made to himself off a batted ball by Brown, and the touchdown was scored off an 11-yard catch-and-run play in the flat by Robinson.
The Panthers held last year’s first-round pick, wideout Drake London, without a catch, and Ridder was limited to just two connections that extended beyond 15 yards.
Ridder targeted his running backs on nine passes for 46 yards and a touchdown, helping his completion percentage in the process, as he rarely forced the ball down the field. Ridder took what the defense gave him, and had it not been for three turnovers by the Panthers’ offense, that strategy might not have been enough.
Overall, it was a strong outing for the passing defense, even without Horn.
GRADE: B
Special teams
The special teams unit had a pair of penalties and a couple of return mistakes by new receiver/returner Ihmir Smith-Marsette.
The returner’s biggest mistake came on a punt return in the fourth quarter. Smith-Marsette fielded a punt at the 5-yard line and went backward. Smith-Marsette was taken down with a horse-collar tackle, but since the Panthers were also flagged for a personal foul on the play, Carolina maintained possession on their own 1-yard line as a result of the poor decision by the returner.
That mistake ultimately cost the Panthers an offensive series, as the group was forced to play with its back against the end zone, and predictably, the unit faltered.
On a positive note, punter Johnny Hekker was excellent on the afternoon. He averaged 53.2 yards per punt, flipping the field regularly, and placed one boot inside the 20-yard line. Kicker Eddy Piñeiro also converted an extra point attempt and a 43-yard field goal try.
GRADE: C+
Overall grade
While there might be few panic attacks within the Carolina fan base this week, the Panthers played like a rebuilding team with a rookie quarterback in his NFL debut.
The Falcons, in general, didn’t come off as a significantly more impressive team — they just simply didn’t make as many mistakes. Teams that turn the ball over three times don’t win games in the NFL. It’s really that simple.
A 0-3 turnover ratio is a recipe for disaster.
Young’s detractors will point to this game as proof that he was a poor pick. They’ll also point to the stat lines for fellow top quarterback picks, CJ Stroud of the Houston Texans and Anthony Richardson of the Indianapolis Colts, and laud their performances over Young, despite all three signal-callers losing their debuts.
But the reality is this is just one game. Young has shown the ability to bounce back from bad moments several times in college and this summer. His outlook, while at least temporarily shaded by this performance, is still pretty bright.
A lot of the miscues on Sunday were likely the result of a lack of live reps within a young crew. Several teams suffered similar fates in Week 1.
While the game looked bad on paper and in the moment, it was ultimately just a letdown, and not worthy of a total lambasting.
GRADE: C-
Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that the Panthers had three explosive runs. Carolina had five explosive runs.
This story was originally published September 11, 2023 at 6:30 AM.
