Adam Thielen Slams Panthers' Offense for 'Embarrassing Effort' in Loss to Bears

Frustration is mounting for the Carolina Panthers after a 16-13 loss to the Chicago Bears on Thursday night dropped their record to 1-8 this season.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Adam Thielen called it an "embarrassing effort" by the offense with 213 total yards.

It's not a total surprise the Panthers had issues moving the ball. They have the third-worst offense in the NFL by yards per game (275.3) and have failed to gain at least 300 yards in seven of nine games.

Bryce Young had another rough outing, completing 21 of 38 attempts for 185 yards. He didn't have a turnover after throwing three interceptions, including two pick-sixes in Week 9, but he also didn't have a touchdown for the first time since Week 4.

Making Young's performance particularly alarming is it came against a Bears defense that ranks 26th in passing yards allowed (248.2) and 27th in points allowed (25.5) per game.

The rookie quarterback did take responsibility for how he played and addressed his teammates in the locker room after the game.

When the Panthers made the trade up to select Young with the top pick in this year's draft, there was an understanding things would be rough at times due to the lack of talent around him on the roster.

Carolina had to trade D.J. Moore, its best receiver, to the Bears as part of the deal. There was hope that Ickey Ekwonu would take a step forward at left tackle in his second season to boost the offensive line, but he's had all sorts of issues as a pass-protector and run-blocker.

The entire Panthers offensive line has been among the worst in the NFL. Thielen leads the team with 652 receiving yards. No other player on the roster has more than 229 receiving yards.

After Thursday's loss, the Panthers are tied with the Arizona Cardinals for the worst record in the NFL. Compounding all of these issues is they owe their 2024 first-round pick, currently No. 1 overall, to the Bears stemming from the trade to select Young this year.

Things won't get easier for the Panthers next week when they host the Dallas Cowboys.