NFL Week 10 game preview: Bears vs. Panthers

On Thursday Night Football, two teams connected via trades square off in front of a global audience.

The Thursday night game between the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers will be aired nationally on Amazon Prime.

Two clubs with three wins between them overall.

Not the brightest and greatest.

But for supporters of the two teams, it’s intriguing. The historic transaction that occurred last spring, sending Carolina’s first overall pick to Chicago for nothing, will always bind them together.

Among other selections and trades, the Bears received DJ Moore and the pick for the next year, while the Panthers selected Bryce Young.

Although things haven’t exactly gone well for Carolina, they haven’t exactly gone well for Chicago either.

Young is going through some growing pains as a rookie, but C.J. Stroud, the quarterback chosen just after him, is having an incredible debut season.

Chicago’s pick in the spring of 2019 may very well be the first overall selection, going to the Panthers. Top three, at most.

Therefore, Chicago should win on Thursday. Can they though? They seem incapable of getting out of their own way.

Let’s dissect it.

Panthers of Carolina

Website of SB Nation: Cat Scratch Reader

Record: 1-6, the NFC South’s last

Loss to the Indianapolis Colts last week: 27–13

The game is on Thursday at 7:15 p.m. CT on Amazon Prime.

Spread: The Bears are 3-point favourites over the Panthers, per DraftKings Sportsbook. There are 40 points in all.

Bears’ lifetime record against: 7-4, with a 0-1 postseason record

Past encounters: During the sixth week of the 1995 campaign, the teams squared off. The Panthers were a new team going into this season.

The Chicago Bears were 2-2 when the Panthers arrived 0–4.

Chicago’s Erik Kramer tossed three touchdown passes, and Rashaan Salaam added 105 yards rushing.

In the fourth quarter, the Panthers took the lead after they recovered a punt for a 62-yard score.

Nevertheless, with just over four minutes remaining, Robert Green’s rushing score sealed a 60-yard, ten-play drive by Kramer and the Bears.

On the following drive, Donnell Woolford picked off Kerry Collins to give Chicago a 31-27 victory.

Week 6 of the 2020 season was the last meeting. The 3-2 Panthers were the opponent for the 4-1 Bears in Charlotte.

A QB sneak by Nick Foles late in the third quarter gave the Bears a 20–6 lead. But a Mike Davis rush put the Panthers in the end zone at last.

Neither side was able to score again after the Bears scored a field goal, and on Carolina’s last drive, DeAndre Houston-Carson intercepted Teddy Bridgewater.

Bears triumphed 23–16.

Injury report: The Panthers’ fictitious injury report featured a wide range of players. If the team had conducted a live practise, seven players would not have participated.

Did not participate

LB Brian Burns (concussion/elbow)

WR DJ Chark (elbow)

CB C.J. Henderson (concussion)

Laviska Shenault (ankle)

TE Stephen Sullivan (shoulder)

LB Luiji Vilain (knee)

FS Xavier Woods (thigh)

Offense: The Panthers offense comes into the game ranked 27th in points and 28th in yards.

Their passing offense ranks 27th and their rushing defense ranks 24th.

Bryce Young (63.9 pct. cmp./1,375 yds./8 TD/7 INT ), the first overall pick is going through some serious growing pains, but doesn’t have much of a supporting cast.

His weapons are former Viking Adam Thielen (62 rec./610 yds./4 TD), rookie Johnathan Mingo (20/200/0), Terrace Marshall Jr. (17/123/0), DJ Chark (17/229/3) and Hayden Hurst (16/170/1).

The rushing attack is led by Chubba Hubbard (85 att./328 yds./1 TD) and Miles Sanders (69/229/1). Receiver Laviska Shenault (12/55/0) has more carries than receptions.

TE Tommy Tremble (8 rec./57/2) is third on the team in touchdown receptions.

Defense: The Panthers defense comes into the game ranked 31st in points and eighth in yards allowed.

Their passing defense ranks fourth and their rushing defense ranks 28th.

The defense is missing several playmakers in Jaycee Horn, Jeremy Chinn and Shaq Thompson.

The best defender on the Panthers is Brian Burns (5 sk/9 TFL/10 QB hits/1 FF). He is battling back from a concussion.

Frankie Luvu (62 tkl/3.5 sk/7 TFL/5 QB hits), Derrick Brown (1 sk/2 PD/6 QB hits/2 TFL), Vonn Bell (33 tkl/1 INT/2 PD),

Key match-ups: The Bears defensive line against the Panthers offensive line. Bryce Young is prone to mistakes and he has taken 26 sacks so far this year. The anemic pass rush of Chicago has to get home against him and force him to turn the ball over.

The Panthers’ defensive numbers in terms of yards and passing defense are good on paper, but they’re allowing a lot of points. Much of that is due to the Panthers offense giving their opponents a short field.

For the Bears’ offense, run the ball. The numbers suggest that’s the way to go and whether it’s Tyson Bagent or Justin Fields, keep it on the ground and let that set up play action and bootlegs.

Key stats

This is the last Bears home game until Dec. 10 against the Lions.

The Bears are undefeated this season on Thursday Night Football.

Two of Matt Eberflus’s five career wins as Chicago’s head coach have come on non-Sundays (.500 win percentage on days other than Sunday – .143 on Sundays).

Carolina ranks 31st in red zone defense, allowing opponents to score on 75 percent of their red zone trips.

However, their third down defense ranks sixth, allowing 34.7 percent of their opponents’ third downs to be converted.

The Panthers rank 31st in takeaways.

Carolina has allowed the most rushing touchdowns in the league.