If the Bears can beat the lowly Panthers at home Sunday, they’ll have a winning record at their latest point in the season since 2021, when they were 3-2 through five weeks — and promptly lost five-straight games.
Here are three keys to beating the Panthers:
Stop the run
The Bears spent all week praising the Panthers’ run game, which features 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 in the NFL. It’s far more dangerous than a passing attack that’s averaging 182.5 yards, which is the ninth-fewest in the league.
Bombs away
Williams went 15-for-15 on passes shorter than 10 yards in last week’s win against the Rams. We can’t stress this enough — that’s a good thing for a quarterback that is learning how to move the chains by any means necessary.
The Bears need to at least threaten the Panthers deep, though. Pro Football Focus has given Williams the worst grade among all NFL starting quarterbacks on passes of 20 yards or more. He’s completed just 3-of-22 passes for 188 yards and three interceptions.
Take care of business
Through four games this season, the Bears have beaten the two teams they’ve been favored to beat and lost two games as an underdog. The Bears are four-point favorites against the Panthers, a margin that might be the biggest they claim all year. The only other candidate at this point: the Patriots on Nov. 10 at Soldier Field.