Kansas City
Chiefs
0-0
21
FINAL
38
Carolina
Panthers
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 1 matchup, the Carolina Panthers topped the Kansas City Chiefs with a final score of 38-21, kicking off the 2028 season on a high note. This victory not only sets the tone for the Panthers' season but also showcases their potential as a formidable contender in the league.
Haynes King led the charge for Carolina, throwing for 2 touchdowns and contributing significantly to the offense. Blake Corum was a standout in the ground game, racking up an impressive 136 rushing yards that kept the Chiefs' defense on their heels. Mario Carver made his presence felt for Kansas City, leading his team with 97 receiving yards, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Panthers’ offensive barrage.
Defensively, the Panthers were relentless, with Max Money recording a game-high 9 total tackles and Jaycee Horn securing an interception that shifted momentum. The turning point came late in the second quarter when Horn's interception set up a quick scoring drive, allowing Carolina to build a lead they would not relinquish. With their balanced attack and stout defense, the Panthers proved they are ready to make a statement this season.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes | QB | 43 | 23 | 53% | 290 | 2 | 1 | 80.5 |
| Haynes King | QB | 21 | 18 | 86% | 253 | 2 | 0 | 148.6 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blake Corum | HB | 15 | 136 | 9.1 | 87 | 2 | 29 | 0 |
| Kenneth Walker | HB | 9 | 76 | 8.4 | 45 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| Haynes King | QB | 7 | 60 | 8.6 | 28 | 0 | 36 | 0 |
| Dorian Freeze | HB | 11 | 38 | 3.5 | — | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| Mark Fletcher Jr. | HB | 7 | 24 | 3.4 | — | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| Patrick Mahomes | QB | 3 | 16 | 5.3 | 9 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Mario Carver | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tommy Tremble | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Carver | WR | 5 | 97 | 19.4 | 18 | 0 | 30 | 3 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 3 | 79 | 26.3 | 9 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| Greg Jamo Jr | TE | 4 | 71 | 17.8 | 24 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| Chris Brazzell II | WR | 4 | 60 | 15.0 | 7 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Rashee Rice | WR | 5 | 56 | 11.2 | 10 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Cyrus Allen | WR | 3 | 39 | 13.0 | 10 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| Tommy Tremble | TE | 4 | 38 | 9.5 | 13 | 1 | 15 | 1 |
| Kenneth Walker | HB | 2 | 32 | 16.0 | 33 | 1 | 23 | 1 |
| Jake Briningstool | TE | 3 | 30 | 10.0 | — | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Tony FukTwelve | WR | 2 | 18 | 9.0 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| Dorian Freeze | HB | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Blake Corum | HB | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Trae Stickems | TE | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Mark Fletcher Jr. | HB | 1 | -2 | -2.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaycee Horn | CB | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Max Money | CB | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trevin Wallace | WILL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mansoor Delane | CB | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chamarri Conner | FS | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris Jones | DT | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brice Prime | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| R Mason Thomas | LEDG | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nic Scourton | LEDG | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chau Smith-Wade | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jadon Canady | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Bolton | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nohl Williams | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carlton Davis III | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Alex Highsmith | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alohi Gilman | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| L'Jarius Sneed | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kader Kohou | CB | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peter Woods | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rashan Gary | REDG | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Brown | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lee Hunter | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jailin Walker | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaden Hicks | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ethan Wesloski | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeffrey Bassa | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Fitzgerald | K | 1 | 1 | 5 | 48 |
| Harrison Butker | K | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |

