Chicago Bears Gameday: 3 Keys to Victory over the Carolina Panthers

On Thursday night, the 2-7 Chicago Bears will compete in their second primetime game in 11 days, where they will be playing host to the 1-7 Carolina Panthers. These two franchises have been tied to one another for months thanks to a monumental trade for the first overall pick in this past NFL Draft. While the Panthers moved up eight spots to draft Heisman-winning quarterback Bryce Young, the Bears used the added capital to bring in instant starters in Darnell Wright and Tyrique Stevenson while also acquiring Carolina's first-round selection in 2024 and star wide receiver D.J. Moore.

Now, with the Panthers just one of two teams (Arizona Cardinals) to have a worse record than Chicago's, the Bears have an opportunity to win against a young but struggling team while also ensuring that their future first-round pick remains in contention for the first overall selection. Despite some obvious areas of concern, the Panthers have a number of strengths on their roster and will not go down on the road without a fight, so it will be essential for the Bears to complete the following three keys to victory:

The Chicago Bears need to be more efficient through the air

On the official injury report for this week, quarterback Justin Fields is listed as doubtful to play, but according to head coach Matt Eberflus's Wednesday press conference, it is abundantly clear that the team will not be with their starter, leaving the offense in the hands of undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent for the fourth consecutive outing.

Bagent's starting career got off to a hot start with a solid performance in a win versus the Las Vegas Raiders, who have since cleared house by firing both their head coach and general manager, but in recent weeks, the rose-tinted glasses have started to fade, cumulating in a head-scratching four-turnover outing last week in the loss to the New Orleans Saints. Adding in his two interceptions versus the Los Angeles Chargers, Bagent's zero interception performance against the Raiders has since been followed by a slew of turnovers, a problem that needs to be fixed versus the Panthers.

In Bagent's defense, both the Chargers and Saints boast talented defenses, but the Panthers themselves carry a loaded defense that has excelled so far this season, especially against the pass. In terms of air yards allowed per game, Carolina's defense is ranked fifth best, an impressive mark for a younger unit on a team that has struggled so massively elsewhere. Fortunately, the Panthers' rush defense has not been as prolific, currently standing as one of just five groups to allow over 130 yards per game on the ground.

This simple analysis would tell any team to establish the run early against this specific Panthers defense, but for the Bears, this gameplan should be the default, at least until Fields returns to full health. As was the case a year ago, the Bears have been one of the league's premier teams in terms of the offensive rushing attack, and even with Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson both missing considerable time, D'Onta Foreman has recently carried the offense to their best success in weeks.

With Herbert officially questionable for Thursday's contest, there is a chance that all three runningbacks are available for the first time in five weeks. If the Bears can establish their identity on the ground early against the Panthers, they could circumvent Carolina's excellent pass defense by flipping the script and leaning on the rushing attack more so than they have since the Raiders game.

Ultimately, to win with any backup quarterback (and even most starters) it is essential to utilize a balanced, complementary offensive attack. If the Bears fall behind early or can't establish a good rhythm due to three-and-outs or turnovers, there will likely be more situations where Bagent has to throw the ball, and the Panthers defense will know it.