4 main catalysts behind Carolina Panthers' demise in Week 9 vs. Colts

What were the main catalysts behind another dismal defeat for the Carolina Panthers at home to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9?

Entering Sunday afternoon, hope and anticipation for the game against the Indianapolis Colts was high after the Carolina Panthers achieved their first win of the season. But everything on the field fell apart, and concerns about the direction of the organization are now coming into question.

Self-inflicted errors were the story. This is not to discredit the Colts - they showed up and played good football - but the Panthers' lack of discipline, structure, and organization crippled their chances of winning.

With this in mind, here are four main catalysts behind Carolina's demise in Week 9.

Carolina Panthers had too many negative offensive plays

While the game was not fully lost early on, numerous self-inflicted mistakes by the Carolina Panthers' offense in the first half left them with an uphill battle.

Bradley Bozeman was called for a crucial third-down false start on the opening drive and the Panthers failed to convert. There was also a holding call on a punt return which set Frank Reich's offense inside the 10-yard line on their second drive. After getting the ball near field goal range after a muffed punt, Bryce Young took a 10-yard sack on third down, removing any opportunity to score points.

Three other sacks and additional pre-snap penalties were not as influential on the outcome as the first-quarter mistakes. But they further push the narrative of Carolina's offense being dysfunctional - these are issues that have plagued the Panthers all season.