One of two things is guaranteed to happen after the Carolina Panthers play the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
If the Panthers win, fans will be excited to make the trip to Atlanta to see if they can start 2-0 for the first time since 2021.
If the Panthers lose, there will be grumblings of revisionist history from certain sections of the fanbase about the trade former general manager Scott Fitterer orchestrated back in March 2023.
Players don’t really give a shit about this type of stuff. Fans can have a hard time letting go, especially if your team came out on the wrong end of it.
But what’s done is done. The past is the past and all that matters is what happens on the field come Sunday.
A loss doesn’t mean the season is over and a win doesn’t mean someone is Super Bowl bound.
Sunday is game one of a long season.
As noted, the Panthers haven’t won in week one in five seasons. Digging out of holes is no way to live in the National Football League.
Can the Panthers finally end their early season September swoon Sunday?
TIM’S KEYS TO THE GAME
These are my keys to the game!
KEY NUMBER ONE: START FAST
I’ve written about it and David Tepper acknowledged it on Wednesday, the Panthers cannot continue to start slow and expect to win games.
There has been a lot of talk about speeding up the operation, which is part of the reason Head Coach Dave Canales ceded play calling duties to offensive coordinator Brad Idzik during the offseason.
The Panthers need to get in and out of the huddle quickly and play fast in the heat. Scoring 10 points in week one again will not get it done against the firepower Chicago has on offense.
Chicago’s defense is missing big time players in Coby Bryant and Kyler Gordon. The Panthers will need to score at least 27 points to win this game.
KEY NUMBER TWO: PASS EARLY AND RUN THE DAMN BALL
Pass to win, run to finish. The Panthers should be fairly aggressive early so they can lean on their offensive line to move Chicago’s defensive linemen around to win the game in the fourth quarter.
Idziks’s play sequencing will be critical in this game. Hopefully he lets Young play with tempo early on to get him into a rhythm.
KEY NUMBER THREE: STAY GROUNDED & POUNCE ON OPPORTUNITIES
We all know that Williams has all sort of magic tricks in his arsenal. The Panthers must avoid getting out of position and losing contain when Williams leaves the pocket.
Don’t fall for the pump fakes and if there’s an opportunity to force a turnover, the Panthers defense has to make it happen.
THE PULSE PREDICTION
I think the Panthers will come out of the gate fast for the first time in ages and win their first week one game since 2021.
Panthers 31 Bears 24
THE FOOD SECTION: WHAT ARE WE EATING?
I return from vacation the day before the game, so I won’t be firing up the smoker.
The return of football means wings! I’ll season the wings with Meat Church’s Hickory rub and bake them at 425 degrees for about 45 minutes, flipping half way through. Once they’re done, I’ll toss them with a little Franks Red Hot.
THE PANTHERS PARKER PARLAY
Each week, I’ll place a $5 wager on a Panthers themed parlay and track the results throughout the season.
The necessary disclaimer: this isn’t gambling advice and I’m not an expert. This is purely for entertainment purposes and some fun. If you’re going to gamble, do your research and do not play outside your means. Most importantly, if you lose your bet, take it like man and don’t be that person that tags athletes on social media for a decision YOU made!
For week 1, I’m rolling with a Jalen Coker centric 3-legged parlay. I do think the Panthers will have to be aggressive in the passing game to win this one, especially with the current state of the Chicago defense. From BetMGM on Friday morning:
Jalen Coker OVER 3.5 receptions (-120)
Jalen Coker OVER 40.5 receiving yards (-115)
Jalen Coker anytime touchdown (+250)
That parlay comes out at +400 odds. A win would net me $20.
CLOSING THOUGHT
I had the privilege of covering the Charlotte 49ers as an undergraduate and at various times after eventually graduating.
I would not have been able to do any of that if not for Tom Whitestone. Tom passed away on September 8, 2026, at the age of 62.
Tom was the longtime Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations for Charlotte and spent 37 years serving the program proudly.
There’s no exaggeration when I use the term proudly. Tom enjoyed telling the stories of the student athletes that represented Charlotte.
Tom was one of the nicest human beings I ever met. He always worked with me, even though I was clueless as a student writer and remained clueless in my 20’s and 30’s.
He was a great man and will be missed by many.