The Panthers got out to an early lead against the Chiefs and are still ahead at halftime, 17-13.
Here’s how things are going so far.
Offense
Teddy Bridgewater is taking a deliberate and patient approach to attacking this Kansas City defense. He engineered a 15-play, 8:53 scoring drive to start the game and continued picking the Chiefs apart the rest of the half with quick passes, finding weak spots in their zones. He’s 17/23 for 123 yards and two scores. Christian McCaffrey has been brilliant in his return. He’s already totaled 91 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. Nobody else is really producing, though and there have been some issues getting the playcalls in from the sideline where Joe Brady is working.
Defense
The Chiefs offense has been a little bit out of rhythm, which helps. At one point, Patrick Mahomes missed Tyreek Hill deep on what should have been a touchdown. Mahomes is currently 17/26 for 196 yards and one score. However, he’s getting hotter as the game goes on and he’s only been hit once. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill leads Kansas City with 57 yards on six catches – he’s been targeted 12 times, though.
Special teams
For the second week in a row, the Panthers have pulled off a successful fake punt. Joseph Charlton blew a punt later on but he also found Brandon Zylstra for a 28-yard gain that helped set up Curtis Samuel’s touchdown. Joey Slye also connected on a 47-yard field goal late in the half.
The Chiefs receive to begin the third quarter.
