The Panthers had put together an impressive opening drive, with their first two draft picks on the field from the start.
Then, a play involving them went all wrong in a hurry.
As the Panthers approached the red zone, quarterback Cam Newton faked an inside handoff to rookie running back Christian McCaffrey and then optioned to rookie wide receiver Curtis Samuel. But the ball clanged off Samuel’s hands (he may have been out too far for the pitch), and the Bears scooped up the fumble.
Bears safety Eddie Jackson scooped up the loose ball and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown, giving them a 7-0 lead before rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky had to take the field.
The Panthers have struggled to run the ball lately, so switching things up from veteran Jonathan Stewart isn’t the worst idea. But the execution was bad, and now they’re in an early hole.