Bear Digest

Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers: Week 5 Game Day Preview

A look at key statistics and trends as well as individual matchups in Sunday's game at Soldier Field between Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears and the Carolina Panthers.

Gene Chamberlain

T.J. Edwards makes a tackle of Panthers QB Bryce Young last year at Soldier Field. Young has been benched in favor of Andy Dalton for this year's rematch.
T.J. Edwards makes a tackle of Panthers QB Bryce Young last year at Soldier Field. Young has been benched in favor of Andy Dalton for this year's rematch. / Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

Carolina Panthers (1-3) at Chicago Bears (2-2)

Where: Soldier Field, Chicago

TV: Fox (Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma, Megan Olivi)

Radio: ESPN AM-1000 (Jeff Joniak, Tom Thayer, Jason McKie)

Sirius XM Radio: Channel 85 or 225

Spanish Radio: Latino Mix 93.5 FM (Omar Ramos, Miguel Esparza)

The Line: Bears by 4, over/under 42 1/2

Bears On SI Pick: Bears 26, Panthers 16

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The Matchup: The Bears go for their eighth straight win at home against the team that started their streak, the Carolina Panthers. It's their longest winning streak at home since 2005-06. Carolina is trying to get back in the win column after losing last week 34-24 to Cincinnati.

Carolina decided after two games to bench quarterback Bryce Young, who they drafted first overall in 2023 with a pick traded to them by the Bears. They went with former Bears quarterback Andy Dalton, who started six games with Chicago during Justin Fields' rookie season. Dalton is with his fifth team. Since leaving Cincinnati at the end of 2019, he has started 32 times for the Cowboys, Bears, Saints and Panthers, with his team winning 14. He is 1-2 as a starter in Carolina and has completed 85 of 136 (62.5%) for 900 yards with seven TDs, one interception and a passer rating of 95.8. Running back Chuba Hubbard has gained 29 yards on 55 carries (5.4 yards per rush) and a TD, while catching 13 passes in 14 targets for 84 yards and a TD. Former Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson leads the Panthers in receptions with 20 for 239 yards and two TDs. Carolina has a minus-seven touchdown ratio with eight TDs scored to 15 allowed.

The Bears have struggled at passing, although rookie QB Caleb Williams (87 of 141, 787 yards, 3 TDs, 4 INT, 72.0 rating) improved his statistics in each of his four starts but still hasn't been in synch with his wide receivers. He went from 48.3% completions to 62.2% to 63.5% and last week to 73.9%. His passer rating has gone up each of the last two games, from 1 to 80.8 and last week to 106.6. Running back D'Andre Swift had his first big Bears game with 93 yards rushing and 72 receiving on seven catches last week while DJ Moore leads in receptions with 22 and receiving yards with 189.

The Bears defense is fourth in interceptions with five and is led in sacks by Gervon Dexter with three.

The Series: The teams meet for the 13th time with the Bears leading 8-4. This includes their 2005 playoff win at Soldier Field by the Panthers. The Bears have a 6-1 edge in the last seven played at Soldier Field in the series and have won the last three matchups there against Carolina. The Bears won last year 16-13 with Tyson Bagent making the start at quarterback.

The Coaches: Carolina coach Dave Canales is 1-3 in his first season, his lone win coming 36-22 at Las Vegas over the Raiders in Week 3. Canales was the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator in Seattle for two years under Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.

Bears coach Matt Eberflus is 12-26 in his third season and 1-0 against the Panthers. The Bears have won seven straight at Soldier Field under Eberflus and are 9-10 ere overall under him.

Matching Up: The Panthers are 23rd on offense, 24th at passing and 19th rushing. They are 25th in scoring. The Panthers are 27th on defense, 18th against the pass and 29th against the run. They have allowed the most points in the NFL (129).

The Bears are 30th on offense, 26th at passing and 29th in rushing. They are 21st in scoring. Chicago is 10th overall on defense, eighth against the pass and 19th against the run. They're eighth in points allowed (75)10th in points allowed.

Injury Report: For Carolina, LB Josey Jewell (hamstring), LB Shaq Thmopson (Achilles) and center Andrew Raym (concussion) are out. Thompson is going on IR. WR Jalen Coker (foot), DE Charles Harris (shoulder), G Robert Hunt (hip), CB Dane Jackson (hamstring), TE Ian Thomas (calf) and DL Shy Tuttle (foot) are questionable.

For the Bears, DT Zacch Pickens (groin) and CB Terell Smith (hip) are out. G Teven Jenkins (ribs) and WR DeAndre Carter (ribs) are questionable.

Of Note: Safety Jaquan Brisker, who sealed last week's game with an interception, and had a sack, also had 12 tackles, the second-highest total in his career. He had 17 tackles against the Lions in a win at Soldier Field last year. Brisker has six career sacks, fourth most among safeties since he entered the league. ... Bears TE Cole Kmet is tied for second in the NFL in first down receptions among tight ends with 10. ... Bears WR Keenan Allen is first among active NFL players in first-down receptions on third downs with 210. He is 15 ahead of second-place DeAndre Hopkins. ... Montez Sweat has one sack of Andy Dalton in the past, a sack he had for Washington when Dalton was QB for Dallas. ... Since entering the league in 2016, S Kevin Byard is second among DBs for tackles with 756. He trails Arizona's Budda Baker by two. ... Hubbard's 38-yard run last week for Carolina was his career long. He has two straight 100-yard games, the first time in his career he's had consecutive 100-yard rushing games. ... Carolina's defense allowed only 8 first-half rushing yards last week, but then 133 yards on the ground over the final two quarters against the Bengals. ... Dalton has lost both of his starts against the Bears but threw for 423 yards and three TDs in the process.

Next Week: The Bears travel to London Sunday, Oct. 13 to be the home team in a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in a game that starts at 8:30 a.m. Chicago time. The Panthers host the Atlanta Falcons at 3:25 p.m. Oct. 13.

Key Individual matchups

Bears CB Jaylon Johnson vs. Panthers WR Diontae Johnson

This will be an interesting battle for Jaylon Johnson because he's usually not assigned one-on-one with the slot-type receiver. So the Bears might not use him in that capacity as much and might move him around. Dionte Johnson has caught 15 passes for 205 yards and two TDs since Andy Dalton became starter. Pro Football Focus has Jaylon Johnson graded seventh overall among cornerbacks and seventh in pass coverage. Neither PFF nor Stathead have teams getting better than 40.1 for a passer rating when they target Jaylon Johnson. Diontae Johnson is graded 29th among wide receivers by PFF.

Bears TE Cole Kmet vs. Panthers LB Claudin Cherelus

Because of injuries, the Panthers will be without both of their regular inside linebackers. If the Panthers cover the 6-foot-6 Kmet with a safety, they'll be giving up 7 inches. If it's a linebacker, the options are Cherelus, who has nine NFL defensive plays, Jon Rhattigan, who has 19, or Trevon Wallace, a rookie third-rounder from Kentucky who will probably be handling the other side away from Kmet. Kmet is third in the league among tight ends in receptions with 18, trailing only Brock Bowers and Dallas Goedert.

Bears DE Montez Sweat vs. Panthers T Taylor Moton

Sweat has two sacks, eight pressures and last week had his first strip-sack of the year. He also has three tackles for loss among his eight tackles. Sweat, who played at Michigan State, is familiar with Moton, a former Western Michigan Bronco. Moton is one of the most effective all-around blockers on an offensive line full of effective blockers. The 6-5, 325-pounder is graded 14th among all tackles at pass blocking currently by PFF. Although Sweat moves around, his main position is over the right tackle, where Moton plays. Moton hasn't allowed a sack this year according to PFF and has committed just one penalty.

Bears WR DJ Moore vs. Panthers CB Mike Jackson

An effective cornerback drafted by Dallas in Round 5, the 6-1, 210-pound former Miami Hurricane has a passer rating against of 82.2 according to PFF, and allows 11.4 yards per reception. Moore could also be covered by Jaycee Horn, who is 6-1, 200 and has allowed 60% completions. The Panthers outside cornerbacks haven't really been a problem. It's been their coverage in the middle of the field. Moore was held to his lowest reception total of the year last week (3) but had his first TD of the season. He has 22 receptions but for only 189 yards as Caleb Williams has struggled to find the window to get the ball to Moore.

Bears WR Keenan Allen vs. Panthers Slot CB Troy Hill

The 33-year-old Hill has been an effective slot cornerback for the Rams and Browns in the past but has struggled this year with a 132.1 passer rating against. He has limited catches to only 8.6 yards according to Stathead. He is 5-foot-10, 182 and graded 78th among 97 cornerbacks overall by PFF. He's familiar with Allen. So far Allen hasn't been heard from much because of his heel injury but is the healthiest he has been since the middle of preseason. He has seven catches in 14 targets for 48 yards and three first downs.

Bears CB Kyler Gordon vs Panthers WR Jonathan Mingo

Adam Thielen had to go on IR and Mingo can play the slot or could go outside. Whichever receiver they move into the slot has produced. Mingo has nine catches for 83 yards and three first downs. He is 6-2, 220 and would have a good size edge on Gordon, who has made big plays but is giving up some big plays in coverage. Stathead gives Gordon a strong 88.9 passer rating against and 66.7% completion percentage allowed, but the 11.3 yards per completion he allows is a high number.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

Published
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.