Bear Digest

Three Keys to Bears Win over Panthers Include Flag-Free Day

The Bears have committed the second most false starts in the league and it's one of the trends they need to stop going into Sunday's home game against Carolina.

Gene Chamberlain

Nate Davis has been flagged twice for false starts and it's been a problem for the Bears offense in general as they are No. 2 in the league at committing this penalty.
Nate Davis has been flagged twice for false starts and it's been a problem for the Bears offense in general as they are No. 2 in the league at committing this penalty. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
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Bears coach Matt Eberflus thought he saw the start of an effective offensive line forming last week.

He had to look through five presnap penalties to see it but it did look better in the running game against a porous Rams run defense.

They'll get a chance to benefit from a second straight home game without fan interference and against a similarly challenged defense on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.

"I think a big step in the right direction last week, that was really good to see that," Eberflus said.

"Them running the football. And protecting a little bit better, and I think it's just that, having the same continuity there, working through with a quarterback and other new skill positions.

"So I just think it's just time on task. And it's going to keep improving every single week."

This will be a week when that line, the running game and quarterback Caleb Williams all will need to produce something because the Bears defense faces an offense with an veteran hand in former Bear Andy Dalton, and one of the league's better runners in Chuba Hubbard.

Here are three keys to a Bears win Sunday at noon over the Panthers at Soldier Field.

1. Beat Panthers Not Themselves

Carolina's defense has had some real problems to this point stopping anyone. They rank 29th in run defense and have given up more points than any team. The one thing the Bears don't want to do is repeat last week's fiasco and help out a struggling opponent with flags.

A total of 10 last week was far too many and in general the Bears have not been an inefficient team. They've committed the 11th most penalties with 30 for four games Last week's total of 10 was a season high but they also had nine against the Texans.

The Bears have committed nine false start penalties. That's the second most in the league, behind only Houston. Darnell Wright, Cole Kmet, Marcedes Lewis and Nate Davis lead the way with two each. They're putting a rookie quarterback in a 5-yard hole every time with these issues.

False starts can be the result of problems in cadence but also in offenses not being entirely comfortable and jumping the gun to get the edge on the defense. This should not happen on Sunday with the Bears. If it does, there are issues because no Panthers opponent has committed a single false start penalty this year. Apparently the defense doesn't challenge people enough to get overanxious?

The Bears need to help their rookie QB and their budding running attack by doing what all four other Panthers opponents did and avoid false starts.

WHY ONE QUARTER IN A SEASON OR GAME DECIDE NOTHING FOR BEARS

KEENAN ALLEN STILL AN UNTAPPED WEAPON AND MOVING AT FULL SPEED

THE WAY FORWARD IN NFC NORTH HAS BEEN SHOWN TO THE BEARS

BEARS IN UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY WITH RUN DEFENSE BEING QUESTIONED

2. Return to Defensive Roots

It will be much different against this Carolina offense than against the one they faced last year at Soldier Field. The big difference is Dalton's experience and an offensive line capable of protecting him and blocking for Chuba Hubbard.

The line was totally revamped through free agency.

"I mean, they're actually very good, they're well paid," defensive end Montez Sweat said. "They invested a lot into the offensive line this past offseason. They're physical. They have a vet, in (Taylor) Mouton at the tackle spot. So yeah. they're good."

As a result, the Bears defense is going to get nicked up. What they need to do against an offense capable of Chuba Hubbard breaking off big runs or Diontae Johnson breaking a long catch and run is be as true to their own nature as possible.

It's zone with disguises and stopping the run first.

They've always preached earning the right to rush the passer and the way to stop Dalton is by taking away Hubbard, and forcing the Red Rifle to keep shooting.

Then they pressure up the middle like they did last week against the Rams, because it's the best way to bother veteran QBs. They can't step into the throw. Andrew Billings is third in the NFL in pass rush win rate among defensive tackles and Gervon Dexter sixth, according to ESPN metrics. Their edge rush will get its sacks because Montez Sweat, Darrell Taylor and DeMarcus Walker are too good at it not to get there, especially on big downs. But if the rush up the middle traps or impacts the QB to keep from throwing on time, the edges have a better chance of being there.

3. Motion Sickness

They need to get the Panthers defense completely off balance with motion. This is the hallmark of any Sean McVay style of offense, like the Bears use.

"It forces communication on the other side," Eberflus said. "Whenever you have that, your coverages, it forces your fronts to move sometimes, but certainly your coverages. Then your gaps. Your gaps you fit into change as you go. Especially if you're a zone cover team. If you are playing man, you are just chasing guys all over the place."

The Panthers are without their two best linebackers in injured Shaq Thompson and Josey Jewell. They have several other defensive players on IR. Getting the linebackers' eyes moving one way and then back the other way can keep them from the point of attack and give the running game an added advantage. End arounds, jet sweeps and even reverses mixed in with tosses in wide zone can go a long way against a defense with inexperienced linebackers, and especially one already struggling to stop the run.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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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.