NFL Week 1 Awards: Bryce Young’s Panthers still look like the NFL’s most embarrassing team

There's nothing quite like Week 1 in the NFL. It is the one time of year when hope springs eternal. Where every team, every coach, every player, and every fan thinks their squad has a legitimate chance at making some noise. A fresh, clean slate does wonders for everyone.

Well, that is, unless you're the Carolina Panthers.

Last year, the Panthers were the worst team in pro football. Their competition for that title wasn't close. On a week-by-week basis, the Panthers were either reinventing new, mundane ways to lose or imploding in a manner that suggested they were actually a decrepit department building needing a controlled demolition, not a football team. Ex-head coach Frank Reich was fired at midseason, Bryce Young looked like a bust for the better part of his entire rookie year, and owner David Tepper seemingly wasted no time making himself look as vile as possible in the public eye. It was a horror show from top to bottom in Charlotte.

The funny thing is, as they enter the Dave Canales era, the Panthers' immediate future somehow seems even bleaker. There's no other reasonable conclusion after watching the New Orleans Saints put on a merciless 47-10 beatdown to start the season.

Dearest readers, Young threw a pick on his first play of the 2024 season. The first play! He also didn't even complete half of his passes. As an offense, the Panthers averaged a putrid 3.5 yards per play. They crossed midfield three times all afternoon, showing zero identity or cohesion in the process. On a Sunday filled with up-and-down offensive performances from many NFL teams, the Panthers were the most uninspiring by far. There is nothing this offense can take into next week to count or build on.

So much for that Diontae Johnson addition giving Young a new friend.

For as bad as the Panthers' offense with Young is -- and don't get me wrong, it's awful -- the situation on defense is grimmer.

No one confuses Derek Carr's glorified pop-gun, conservative Saints offense for being an unstoppable flamethrower. Far from it, in fact. That didn't matter against the hapless Panthers. New Orleans nearly doubled up Carolina in total first downs and total yards. The Saints scored on eight of 10 possessions, with two inconsequential punts coming at the end of the game only once Carr was done for the day. This was akin to a scrimmage for the Saints, not a real regular-season matchup. That's how little resistance the Panthers provided against a division "rival."

It's almost as if there was never a Panthers defense on the field in the first place.

What should be scary for the Panthers is the degree to which nothing has changed. If I took this game and compared it to any of Carolina's many losses in 2023, they'd be indistinguishable without taking a closer look. This Panthers team won two games last year, and while I know it's Week 1, it already looks like it's stuck in a depressing neutral. At this point, I'm having a challenging time imagining this Panthers team with this specific quarterback and owner ever enjoying any success at all.

The ceiling for "success" is underneath the floor for the NFL's answer to the unmoored Chicago White Sox.

Elsewhere in Week 1 in the NFL, Caleb Williams was saved by the incredible Chicago Bears defense, Russell Wilson showed he's way too committed to his bit, and Tom Brady is really gonna need to loosen up in the announcing booth. Let's dive into For The Win's first NFL Awards of the 2024 season.

Best opening Sunday energy: Bears fans giving Caleb Williams a standing ovation for existing

In many ways, Caleb Williams is the best hope the Bears have had at quarterback in decades. This is a franchise with a tormented fanbase that has never known anything close to consistent superstar quarterback play, making Williams' arrival in Chicago all the more electric at face value.

And even while Williams (unsurprisingly) struggled during his NFL debut, it was really cool to see Bears fans give him a standing ovation ... just for being their team's quarterback:

Best brief glimpse of the future: This beautiful Anthony Richardson rainbow TD pass

Before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery last year, Anthony Richardson made a lot of waves as a rookie. It made the Colts and Shane Steichen understandably super excited about his future, even if they'd have to wait nearly an entire calendar year to see him play in their bright, royal blue uniform again.

In his return, despite a loss to the rival Houston Texans, Richardson dialed up what might be one of the most perfect long touchdown passes we'll see all season. It was another glimpse of the tantalizing potential Richardson possesses.

This young man is an absolute cyborg, and he has my bow forever:

Worst start to a "rebound" season: Bryce Young, for throwing a pick on his first play of 2024

I already covered some of this above, but for a team that faded away into dark obscurity in 2023, the Panthers' opener against the New Orleans Saints was a catastrophe in every imaginable way. And once again, it doesn't help that Young -- the supposed leader of the team -- set the tone with a horrific pick on his first play of the year.

The Panthers are a circus act, and I'm not sure how much longer I can keep watching them without wincing:

Worst commitment to the bit: Russell Wilson, for wearing his shoulder pads despite being inactive

I won't lie. One of the biggest reasons Russell Wilson is a favorite NFL punching bag for fans is his seeming commitment to being "earnest" at the expense of any actual authenticity. The lengths he'll go to make himself seem cooler or more "likable" instead of acting like a normal human being is sometimes quite mind-boggling.

For example, Wilson was inactive against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1, leaving the door open for Justin Fields. Most inactive NFL players are walking around the sideline during the game, adorned in their team's more casual gear. You know, a shirt, sweatpants, and some Nikes. Wilson instead wore his full uniform even though he literally could not play. I'm not talking about his health preventing him from playing. I mean that because he was listed as inactive, he could never enter the game.

Does Wilson think he's being a "better leader" by putting on this show next to his Pittsburgh Steelers teammates? C'mon. My guy, what are we doing?

Best wide-open TD ever: Kyle Pitts, after waiting and WAITING for Kirk Cousins to see him

While they'll probably be OK in the long run, the Falcons' Kirk Cousins era got off to a sputtering start on Sunday. To be fair, despite the defeat, it wasn't all bad. We saw glimpses of what could happen when Cousins actually uses his weapons, even if it'll likely take more time for him to develop chemistry with them.

This Kyle Pitts touchdown, where he waved his arms multiple times hoping that Cousins would see him, is a perfect example of where the Falcons are right now and where they'll need to be soon enough.

That connection's gotta be a lot faster moving forward:

Best celebration of a spouse's achievement: Simone Biles, while watching Jonathan Owens score a TD

One of the purest joys of being a couple is celebrating each other's wins and little successes. It adds a foundation of love and appreciation for one another that only leads to more happiness and fulfillment. This idea is especially true for legendary Olympian gymnast Simone Biles and Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens.

After Owens watched Biles dominate at the Paris Olympics, she got the pleasure of watching him flip the Bears' game against the Tennessee Titans with a touchdown on a blocked punt. Folks, this is what it's all about:

Best shoutout of former work friends: CBS' NFL studio show, for saying they miss Boomer Esiason and Phil Simms

I don't know what you really think of all these Sunday NFL shows you watch, but the groups of people on them are undoubtedly super tight. We can't deny that. The NFL Today guys showed us this when they made sure to shout out long-time staples Boomer Esiason and Phil Simms as the program moved into its new era.

What a classy move and kind gesture:

Best celebration making light of a morning snafu: Tyreek Hill, for mocking his getting pulled over after scoring a TD

On Sunday morning, before the Miami Dolphins took on the Jacksonville Jaguars, Hill was detained after being cited for reckless driving. Hill was released in time for the game, and the incident was definitely still fresh on his mind. How do I know?

Hill put his hands behind his back to act like he was handcuffed after scoring an 80-yard touchdown:

Best example of why coaches will ignore a rule: DeeJay Dallas, for scoring a kickoff return TD under the new rules

It's still early, but it seems clear that NFL coaches are not taking the new "dynamic" kickoff rules all that seriously. To be fair, can you blame them? There's no sense in exposing your special teams unit to a dangerous kickoff return if you can help it.

The Arizona Cardinals' DeeJay Dallas showed us this when he housed the first touchdown under these new kickoff stipulations against the Buffalo Bills. This play is going to be shown in every single NFL special teams meeting this week, with kickers being given the green light to boot the ball as far as possible through the end zone:

Worst miss with the game on the line: Kyler Murray, who never saw Marvin Harrison Jr.

The Cardinals almost did it. They almost went into Western New York and upset Josh Allen's Buffalo Bills. But with just over a minute to go while driving in Buffalo territory, Kyler Murray's gonna want one play back. He missed standout rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. with the game on the line.

When I say "missed," I mean that Murray never even really looked in Harrison's direction, who was so open that he may have scored a game-changing touchdown.

Oof, a brutal beat:

Worst announcing debut: Tom Brady during the Dallas Cowboys' matchup with the Cleveland Browns

I'm not going to pretend that Tom Brady has no room to grow as an announcer. He has too much football knowledge and expertise to fall completely flat at his job. At the same time, hoo boy, did he have a rough opener for Fox as someone getting paid over $37 million a year to do this job. Brady was nervous, he was over-rehearsed, and everyone noticed because his addition to the booth was so high-profile. Brady's awkward in-booth interaction with Mike Pereira didn't help matters.

If I hear ... Brady ... take more ... unnecessary pauses ... while talking ... that's when ... it might be hopeless:

Worst logic for striking down fan frustration: Giants DT Dexter Lawrence

I will never endorse fans booing their favorite teams. It's silly to me to make players you want to succeed feel even worse about their already obvious poor performance. With that said, as long as you never cross the line in being hateful or dangerous, I'm of the opinion you can voice your displeasure with your team however you want after dropping the equivalent of a PlayStation 5 for tickets. They're not perfect, but them's the rules.

From this perspective, the New York Giants' Dexter Lawrence doesn't get it. Big Blue's fans rightfully booed the team during a blowout 28-6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, and Lawrence said he didn't understand why in the postgame locker room.

How he doesn't understand that Giants fans are frustrated with a franchise that has two winning seasons in the last nine years (likely soon to be two in 10) is beyond me.

Best symbolism of defeat: Will Levis, for dropping to his knees with a surrender cobra during a pick-six

The Titans had the Bears right where they wanted them. Then, the Bears' dominant defense and electric special teams flipped the game on a whim in an unbelievable 17-point comeback win in Chicago. The game turned for good when Bears' second-year cornerback Tyrique Stevenson housed a careless Levis pass -- who was being sacked -- for a touchdown.

The best part is you can tell exactly when Levis's heart broke during the game-deciding sequence. Replays show Levis dropping to his knees and delivering a surrender cobra as Stevenson streaked down an open sideline. It's so, so perfect:

Worst game management by a well-known doofus: Mike McCarthy, for ruining a 66-yard field goal

You can't teach an old dog new tricks. If Mike McCarthy doesn't know how to use timeouts nearly 20 years into his NFL head coaching career, he's probably never going to learn this skill.

But my goodness, would it kill him to throw his players a bone?

With the Cowboys demolishing the Browns, they technically didn't need any more points at the end of a decisive first half. But hey, they lined up for a 66-yard kick (tying an NFL record) for Brandon Aubrey, and he made it! Except ... he didn't, because McCarthy refusing to take one of TWO timeouts on the LAST play of the half led to an unnecessary delay of game penalty.

Buddy, it would not have hurt you or your team to stop the clock for your kicker. I promise!

This article originally appeared on For The Win: NFL Week 1 Awards: Bryce Young’s Panthers still look like the NFL’s most embarrassing team