Panthers News: Bryce Young, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Frank Reich and D.J. Moore
By Dean Jones
Which Carolina Panthers news stories are making waves after the team's embarrassing loss at the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football?
This was a new low for the Carolina Panthers. The team stunk up Soldier Field during another woeful offensive display against the Chicago Bears, losing 16-13 and piling exponential pressure on those in positions of power.
It proved to be the tipping point for many fans on social media and it'll be a nervous few days within the building as team owner David Tepper demands answers. Until then, the stories generating column inches include Frank Reich's inexplicable decision, Bryce Young's emotion, D.J. Moore on beating his former team, and Ihmir Smith-Marsette making an impact.
Let's delve into each topic in more detail.
Ihmir Smith-Marsette's big moment
It wasn't all bad for the Carolina Panthers. The undoubted highlight came early on when kick returner Ihmir Smith-Marsette returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown, which sparked the game into life - albeit for a brief period.
When discussing what the breakout moment could mean moving forward, Smith-Marsette was confident in his ability to build on this positive momentum based on comments via Carolina's website. If only his teammates on the offensive side of the ball could say the same.
"The only thing I can say is 'I can go up from here. It's the first one and not the last one. So, I'm definitely going to keep working to get better each and every week. That one [play] was good, but I still feel like I left a lot out there. I can only build upon it. That's really all I can think about."
- Ihmir Smith-Marsette via Panthers.com
Smith-Marsette sent out a cryptic social media post earlier this week that indicated a level of unhappiness with his lack of targets in the passing game. This was certainly one way to get noticed.