We can build on the Panthers' loss to the Bengals

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Carolina Panthers are rightfully dejected ahead of their Week 5 game against the Chicago Bears (1 p.m. ET, Fox).

They are 1-3 after Sunday's 34-24 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals at Bank of America Stadium, and history shows that such a start gives them little chance of making the playoffs.

The number of injuries continues to mount, particularly on defense, where Shaq Thompson was forced off the field on Sunday with a lower leg injury.

Next week's opponent, the Bears, is the team they traded with so they could sign quarterback Bryce Young with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft – and Young's future as a franchise quarterback is uncertain at best as he was benched after a 0-2 start.

But instead of gloom and doom, Sunday's loss to the previously winless Bengals team left the Panthers (1-3) surprisingly optimistic. Instead of letting the game get out of control like it did in Weeks 1 and 2 when they lost 73-13 overall, they were just a touchdown away before Cincinnati kicked a field goal with 1:14 to play.

“We didn’t lose anything today,” said quarterback Andy Dalton, 1-1 as a starter since replacing Young. “It was an NFL football game.” It was a few plays that made the difference. We go back and look at the tape and say, “Man, if we had just done that, the outcome could have been different.”

“At least for us, we’re putting something out there that we know we can build on.”

There was this sense of optimism throughout the locker room, something that was nowhere to be found in the first two games when the Panthers looked like the worst team in the NFL.

Dalton is a big reason. His ability to stretch the field with deep passes, which Young rarely attempted, has opened up the running game for Chuba Hubbard, who has rushed for 218 yards in the last two weeks (104 on Sunday) after totaling 78 in the first two games yards had scored.

This allowed first-year coach Dave Canales to open up the offensive playbook, something he appeared reluctant to do with Young under center.

It gave the team an identity.

“The whole team, just the energy, is different,” wide receiver Diontae Johnson said. “I feel like it's a different team.” We were down by two touchdowns, but we came back. “We still have that buddy in us and we’re not going to give up.”

As Johnson and others pointed out, the typical NFL game consists of a few plays. This was no different. They had four dropped passes (tied for the second-most in a game since 2011), no more than Johnson's on a fade route to the end zone on the opening series when the Panthers failed to score on fourth down.

“It was great,” Johnson said of failing to catch the second and decisive ball from the 1-yard line. “No matter where the ball was thrown, I should have played on it.”

Canales has tried to instill the no-excuses mentality, and it was one of many signs that it's starting to take hold.

There was also a drop on a fake punt that could have changed the outcome, but no fingers were pointed.

Instead, it was pointed out how well rookie wide receiver Xavier Legette (6 catches, 66 yards, 1 TD) improved in the first game since starter Adam Thielen went on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.

There was praise for the defense, which was already down three starters (defender Derrick Brown, nose guard Shy Tuttle, safety Jordan Fuller) when Thompson went down.

“We just believe in ourselves,” said Johnson, who had seven catches for 83 yards and a touchdown. “The game plan the last two weeks… just being comfortable is the main thing, just playing as a unit, easy.” Let Andy take the lead and make plays. This is where everything builds trust throughout the unit.

“It just depends on the details.”

A big topic this week will be Young's past failure as a franchise quarterback, especially since the Panthers sent two first-round picks (2023, 2024), wide receiver DJ Moore and a 2025 second-round pick to the Bears so they could draft Young — and the Bears used that 2024 pick to sign quarterback Caleb Williams, who is 2-2 despite some struggles.

But Canales and his players aren't looking back. They look at the progress from the last two games and see what this team can become after six straight losing seasons.

“It’s a different vibe,” cornerback Jaycee Horn said. “Even though we lost, we kind of come out of the game knowing we’re going to get a little better.”