Panthers @ Bears
Final Score: Bears 36 – Panthers 10
Writer: Zach Whetsel
The Chicago Bears routed the Carolina Panthers today at Soldier Field, winning 36-10 off the back of a breakout performance by rookie QB Caleb Williams. The game served to highlight the difference in the direction of the two franchises, as they were confronted with the realities of their intertwined fates resulting from their blockbuster 2023 draft trade. For Panthers fans, today’s loss must punctuate the necessity of a long road to recovery from the fallout of that move, while for the Bears, it marked the coming out party for the up-and-coming stars who they ultimately secured in the deal.
Three Up
- Caleb Williams – As perhaps the easiest selection in this entry, Caleb Williams secured his spot atop my “Three Up” list with his impressive performance today. He looked cool, calm, and collected all game and managed to hit a deep ball that would make any long-time Bears fan cry. When you want to know what people mean when they say true talent looks effortless, look no further than Caleb’s insane arm talent. I’ll stop short of crowning him, especially considering the injuries and general lack of talent across the Panthers’ defense, but he looked truly great.
- DJ Moore – It took a few games for the star wide receiver to truly click with Caleb, but today he did, and it was something to watch. The other pass catchers all had relatively quiet days, but Caleb looked to DJ all game long, and the two just ate. The body-language watchers who were so concerned after the season’s first game ought to look at Moore’s face after his second touchdown today- he seems pretty happy with his new QB at this point.
- Chuba Hubbard – The lone player on this Panthers team that felt like a real bright spot, Chuba Hubbard still had himself a very nice day today and did his best with an extremely negative game script. If not for the 20-point second-quarter performance from the Bears’ offense, Chuba would have most certainly been fed more, as he was the only player who was finding consistent success for the Panthers today. I came away impressed and encouraged by his solid day despite everything around him.
Three Down
- Andy Dalton – While the Red Rifle is still a competent NFL QB, his limitations were on display today against a ferocious Bears secondary. He is not the player who will win the game for his team when things are going wrong or greatly elevate the talent around him, and against good defenses, I fear it will never be particularly pretty for the Panthers and Dalton. While he’ll have solid days because the Panthers offense is not devoid of talent, the run game feels more reliable, and as the injuries to wide receivers pile up in Carolina, Dalton’s outlook is just getting worse.
- Jonathan Mingo – The 23-year-old former second-round pick had a tough day, looking more like he didn’t belong than fellow backup Jalen Coker, even with more experience and much better draft capital backing him. He had some ugly drops and simply did not do anything at all that felt like a show of real talent. He may not have looked like the worst player on the field, but the Panthers had better hope Legette isn’t seriously injured, or they’d better give Coker chances over Mingo. It was not a good performance for the sophomore receiver in any capacity.
- Keenan Allen – Allen didn’t have a bad game, but he also seemed the least in sync with Caleb of all the Bears’ pass-catchers. On a day when the QB threw for 304 yards, it felt a little disappointing to see Allen only bring in 33 of those. You’d expect the Bears to get him more worked in as the season progresses, but with rookie receiver Rome Odunze looking good when he gets touches, it will be tough to count on Allen as a consistent contributor each week. Hopefully, his veteran presence turns him into someone Caleb learns to rely on with more time together.
Carolina Panthers
Quarterback
Andy Dalton: 18/28 passing, 136 yards, 1 INT | 1 rush, 3 yards, 2 fumbles (0 lost)
While Dalton isn’t to blame for the miserable performance from the Panthers today, he also is not the QB to rescue them from their lack of talent. He’s more of a perfect representation of the problem than anything else. When the team is unable to protect Dalton so that he can stay on schedule both on the scoreboard and on down-and-distance, they’ll never be able to realistically expect him to bring them back. He’s just simply not good enough. Dalton did a fine job of taking what was given and trying to keep the offense from imploding. Unfortunately for him, the Bears’ defense (especially the secondary) is very good, and they were quickly playing with a massive lead. While he never let the game get ugly by making mistakes, he just clearly wasn’t capable of stopping the bleeding and creating an offensive rally. We all know Andy Dalton at this point, and his performance was exactly what one would expect.
Missed Opportunities
- Andy’s interception was not even necessarily his fault- he launched a deep ball, and Mingo was simply outplayed at the point of attack by Kevin Byard. Unfortunately, his offense had several plays like this throughout the day, and although it would not have ultimately made a big difference, Dalton had three to five perfectly acceptable passes that were simply dropped by his receiving corps. While he did his job at least solidly all game, the team around him let him down more than once.
Bryce Young: 4/7 passing, 58 yards, 1 carry, 8 yards
Bryce Young came into the game late once both teams were ready to go home and quarterbacked an unsuccessful drive against the Bears’ backups. He had some nice moments initially but folded in the red zone and even had to be bailed out by a dropped INT to get there. While I was hopeful that I’d come away feeling a spark and initially felt that he was showing some talent, I ultimately felt that the Panthers would have had an even worse day had Bryce been out there making mistakes against a defense that was playing hungry all game.
Notes
- Young threw a nice pass down the sideline for his first completion, scrambling right and dropping it in the bucket to start their drive. He kept them moving down the field, too, and I had to remind myself for a minute that it was only against backups. He looked good initially. Unfortunately, things did not end quite as well as they began.
Missed Opportunities
- Bryce got away with one halfway through his drive when he tried to force a slant pass and the DB got his hand in and popped it up in the air. Bears backup safety Jonathan Owens (the husband of Simone Biles) dropped the easiest INT of his career, and the drive continued. Unfortunately for Bryce, he was ultimately unable to take advantage- when the Panthers reached the red zone, and the field tightened up, he simply didn’t make anything happen and took a drive-killing sack on 4th and 2 to cap things off. While there was hope for a minute with how his drive started, the end was just as deflating, especially since it all took place against backups.
Running Back
Chuba Hubbard: 13 carries, 97 yards, 1 TD, 1 fumble (1 lost) | 4/4 receiving, -2 yards
Chuba was the lone true bright spot on today’s Panthers squad. He looked tough to bring down all day, hit his holes with conviction, and it seems the coaches trust him more than anyone when it comes to just getting the job done. Unfortunately for his stats, the game script very quickly got out of hand, but he still made the most of his opportunities when he got them. Did you know the Panthers actually scored first off a 38-yard rushing touchdown from Chuba?
Notes
- The Bears’ defense is solid against the rush, and the Panthers’ offensive line seemed to get good push against them all game long when they ran the ball. If the Panthers’ defense can hold up at all, which is a big if, Chuba will have some very solid days in the future running the ball. Even today, you have to be very happy with the 97-yard, 1 TD outcome, all things considered.
Missed Opportunities
- Chuba’s fumble was an unfortunate one, coming just after he secured a short catch. Even with the quality day that he had overall, Chuba could not completely avoid the stink that pervaded the offense today. It resulted in a Bears recovery and another stalled drive for the Panthers.
Miles Sanders: 2 carries, 6 yards | 2/3 receiving, 27 yards
Sanders was not featured in the slightest in the offense today, and it feels like that’s for good reason. In all the ways that Chuba looked competent and capable, Sanders looked unimpressive. He even looked bad on the lone incompletion that came his way, seeming scared to come back for the ball and allowing it to be broken up by the Bears’ cornerback. There’s not much to say aside from knowing that Panthers fans will not be sad to see him go.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Diontae Johnson: 3/6 receiving, 23 yards | 2 carries, 6 yards
Johnson didn’t have a particularly bad day, but there was not much going against the best secondary the Panthers have faced this season. While you’d have hoped to see more targets for him on the day, there was very little room for him to work, and the offense quickly became one-dimensional against a team that’s set up to take full advantage of those scenarios. He did fine for what little was there for him.
Notes
- Tyrique Stevenson made a great play to break up a 4th-down pass attempt late in the half that highlighted the type of day Diontae had. Johnson ran a comeback route on the sideline, and even with him being known as an incredible route runner, he was not able to create an ounce of separation. Expect him to eat against lesser secondaries, but not this week.
Jalen Coker: 4/4 receiving, 68 yards
The rookie late-round pick made his case for more playing time today, playing like the best receiver on the offense late in the game. He made the routine catches he was meant to and looked like he belonged. Coker looked so obviously more talented than Mingo, even with only four targets total. Bryce Young’s completed scramble drill pass that went for 31 yards on the final drive also went to Coker, and you have to hope he’ll get Mingo’s snaps moving forward, especially if Legette is injured and the Panthers need to move further down the depth chart to fill their WR2 role.
Jonathan Mingo: 2/5 receiving, 37 yards
Mingo looked ugly today. Dalton’s only interception came on a deep shot to Mingo in which his ball skills made him look like the DB and Byard the wide receiver. Mingo never even turned around to track the ball as Byard made the diving snag over him. Furthermore, Mingo had a case of the drops and even fell down on the one big play that went his way. He caught a 29-yard pass that had him wide open down the left of the field but fell in the process for seemingly no reason at all. He has struggled mightily this season, and the Panthers coaches may hand his snaps to Coker shortly.
Ja’Tavion Sanders: 3/5 receiving, 13 yards
Sanders is another one that makes this list as a disappointing young pass catcher in this offense. He dropped a short pass in the flat that would have converted on third down before the half and then later dropped another because he was intimidated by Tremaine Edmunds preparing to hit him in the middle of the field. For as quick as the rookie tight end may look, he did not have the ball skills today to earn more touches. If and when Tommy Tremble comes back from his concussion, expect Sanders to head back to the TE2 role unless he makes improvements soon.
Xavier Legette: 1/1 receiving, 8 yards
The young receiver from this past draft did not have a chance to showcase his skills today after being knocked out of the game in the second quarter due to a shoulder injury after being tackled on his lone reception. It did go for a first down against contested coverage, so that was nice, but he was dragged down and landed hard and did not return. The Panthers definitely need him considering the lack of talent elsewhere on the offense. Hopefully, it’s not serious because the opportunities are there when he returns.
Chicago Bears
Quarterback
Caleb Williams: 20/29 passing, 304 yards, 2 TD | 5 rushes, 34 yards
Unfortunately for Panthers fans, Caleb chose this game to fully break out. He looked on point all day and honestly played better than the stats even show. He was nigh impossible to bring down for sacks, accurate at all levels, and seemed completely in control. It would be good to pump the brakes a bit, though, considering the number of injuries to an already talent-bereft Panthers defense, but today was a great step in the rookie’s development. Good players and good teams are supposed to beat up on bad ones, and Caleb and the Bears did just that today.
Notes
- Caleb’s second passing touchdown of the day was easily the best pass I’ve seen him make yet this season, and DJ Moore was loving it. The arm talent required to flick the ball downfield as he did is truly impressive, and almost better was his know-how to keep his eyes on the other half of the field to pull the safety over while he let the route develop. He had a game filled with smart plays like that and looked the most in control of any game yet this season. The future seems bright for Caleb if he can continue to improve on this performance, just as he’s done every week leading to now.
Missed Opportunities
- He ran in a third touchdown later in the game but had it called back due to a cut block from the lineman-turned-fullback that the Bears keep calling in on short-yardage situations. DJ Moore also dropped a pass late that would have just continued padding their stats, as he was wide open on third down and would have converted had he brought it in. Lastly, he targeted Keenan Allen later in the game on a throw into the end zone, but they seemed to be on a different page. Hopefully, those come together soon, and they start to get Allen more involved.
Running Back
D’Andre Swift: 21 carries, 73 yards, 1 TD | 2/2 receiving, 47 yards
Swift may not be the most talented between-the-tackles back in the league, but he again proved how he can be a weapon for this team today. He’s shifty in space, a quality pass catcher, and is always a threat to break off a big play. Although he won’t ever be a goal-line back, he should continue to have solid games as this offense progresses around him.
Notes
- Swift’s limited yards per carry shows that he’s not the best at grinding out tough yards, and the team seems perfectly willing to sub him out when punching the ball into the end zone. Still, if he can keep it up with the quick runs and big plays like he had today, he’ll have the role of the starting back in this offense.
Roschon Johnson: 10 carries, 25 yards, 2 TDs
Roschon is a bit of a plodder and won’t ever get run as the Bears starter (barring injury, of course), but he’s carved out a seemingly valuable role nonetheless as the guy who runs hard to punch the ball over the line to gain. The team feels they can rely on him in those situations, and he’ll continue to get those looks; he may not be a reliable every-week fantasy starter, but with the number of valuable touches he’s begun to command, there are worse options. Today feels like it is about his ceiling, and that’s not bad for fantasy and very valuable for winning games.
Missed Opportunities
- Roschon was stuffed on a 4th and short in the second half. For as great as the offense looked in the second quarter, they had a few plays like this in the second half where they didn’t quite get the job done. You would like to see the Bears line win those battles against a depleted Carolina defensive front, but all told, it was a small-fry moment, and it wasn’t Roschon’s fault anyway. Just something to keep in mind when hoping for quality performances out of him against better fronts.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
DJ Moore: 5/8 receiving, 105 yards, 2 TDs
DJ looked to be fully on the same page as Caleb for the first time in his QB’s young career, and it was pretty. The first touchdown catch came on a busted coverage and left him with 57 yards in the first quarter alone, and the second touchdown was an absolute dime and incredible contested catch in the middle of the field on the deep shot. If DJ and Caleb are starting to click, watch out–when a QB can consistently get the ball in DJ Moore’s hands, big things will happen.
Missed Opportunities
- DJ dropped a catch that almost seemed too easy late in the game, as he was wide open, and the ball hit him in the numbers for an easy third down conversion and potential 10-20 yard gain. It would have just been icing on the cake, but look for the offense to clean little things like that up next week. They would have liked it if they could have kept a couple of their stalled drives going a little longer in the second half today.
Cole Kmet: 3/4 receiving, 57 yards
Kmet once again proved that he is as reliable as they come as a target for Caleb Williams. He’s not the fastest or flashiest tight end, but he does his job as reliably as anyone and catches everything that comes his way. He did seemingly mess up his assignment a couple of times today, but overall, he seemed to be the #2 option for the young QB as he looked to keep the offense in rhythm and moving down the field.
Notes
- On the longest play of the day for Kmet, a 26-yard catch down the sideline, Caleb placed it just behind him and forced Cole to come back to the ball a little. If the ball had been one or two paces further out in front, Kmet could have kept his balance and may have broken free- the coverage was broken on that catch, and it at least would have been a much bigger play. Look for those to convert in the future- regardless, Cole Kmet has a reliable every-week role in this offense.
Missed Opportunities
- On a 2nd down and 12 later in the game, Kmet ran a route into the flat but thought his assignment was to break up the sideline once the DB bit… Caleb had pressure and was looking for Cole to sit down and catch the hot ball. The pass zinged harmlessly out of bounds as Cole obliviously raced up the sideline, but it was a clear moment of miscommunication that will have to be cleaned up. They’re happening less often, but it’s worth a note.
- Cole also motioned illegally on the goal line and had a rushing touchdown called back as a result. He motioned at the same time as Rome, and it seemed to be Cole’s fault based on his reaction. The team punched the ball in on the next play regardless, but it makes one think that he was the one with a couple of mental mistakes today that he’ll have to avoid against a better opponent.
Rome Odunze: 5/6 receiving, 40 yards
While Rome didn’t have the most exciting day, the offense looked to get him involved on shorter routes, and he made the most of them. He didn’t have any opportunities to ‘wow,’ but he did his job when he got the ball. On his short receptions, he turned upfield and fought for yards, and that’s what you want from him. No drops, solid yards on his short opportunities, and another week coming up to make something more… onto the next one for Rome. Better days will certainly come.
Keenan Allen: 3/6 receiving, 33 yards
Allen looked a little off today, only having two catches until one of the last drives of the game, but it was less about his performance and seemingly more so just that he hasn’t been healthy enough to establish chemistry. Caleb still loves looking to him more than anyone on quick outs, and they hit one of those today. Those give me hope that they’ll soon establish chemistry elsewhere.
Missed Opportunities
- On Keenan’s only target in the end zone, Caleb thought he’d break off his out route short, and Keenan ran a bit deeper towards the back corner, unable to recover and get to the ball once he realized. Those small plays will convert at some point, especially now that he can practice again after recovering from his heel injury. While I think Rome will ultimately be the WR2 this season stat-wise, Keenan is going to be someone that Caleb looks to rely on in key situations, and that will translate into some good games on the stat sheet soon as well.
Gerald Everett: 2/2 receiving, 22 yards
After the Bears signed him to a 2-year, $12 million deal in the off-season and then featured him heavily in Week 1, Gerald Everett has been silent since. Bears fans were frustrated with Kmet’s usage after Everett got significantly more looks in the first week, so giving Kmet more run was a welcome change in the past few weeks, but with Everett’s contract, it’s also been concerning that he hasn’t had any catches through the past few games. Thankfully, that changed today, as he did his job and converted on a key play with one of his two receptions. Don’t expect him to be a featured piece in this offense, but he should be a competent backup should Kmet ever go down.