Three keys for Bears vs. Panthers

If the Bears can beat the struggling Panthers at home on Sunday, they will have a winning record at the final point of the season since 2021, when they were 3-2 through five weeks – and promptly lost five games in a row.

Here are three keys to beating the Panthers:

Stop the run

The Bears spent all week praising the Panthers’ run game, which includes running back Chuba Hubbard and an offensive line that ranks third in the NFL in 2024 salary cap dollars spent. The Panthers average 108.5 rushing yards per game, which ranks 19th^Th in the NFL. It’s far more dangerous than a passing attack, averaging 182.5 yards, which is ninth-fewest in the league.

Bombs away

In last week’s win against the Rams, Williams completed 15 of 15 on passes shorter than 10 yards. We can’t stress this enough – this is a good thing for a quarterback who is learning to move the chains by any means necessary.

However, the Bears must at least threaten the Panthers deep down. Pro Football Focus gave Williams the worst grade among all NFL starting quarterbacks on passes of 20 yards or more. He completed just 3 of 22 passes for 118 yards and three interceptions.

Take care of business

In four games this season, the Bears have beaten the two teams they beat as favorites and lost two games as underdogs. The Bears are four-point favorites against the Panthers, a lead that may be the largest they’ve managed this year. The only other candidate at this point: the Patriots on November 10th at Soldier Field.