Key Takeaways: Bears' Defense Overwhelms Bryce Young and the Panthers
The Thursday night clash at Soldier Field won't go down as a memorable moment in football history.
In a less-than-stellar matchup, the Bears eked out a 16-13 victory over the Carolina Panthers. The game's quality was so subpar that it arguably warranted intervention from the FCC.
Tyson Bagent, the undrafted rookie, struggled significantly. Bryce Young, the top draft pick, fared even worse.
Both teams' defenses performed well, though this was likely more due to the lackluster offenses they faced than anything else.
The Bears moved to a 3-7 record in a match they simply couldn't afford to lose, ironically improving their draft prospects by defeating a Panthers team that seemed out of its depth.
Here's what unfolded in the Bears' narrow win:
The Bears' season has been marked by penalties, missed tackles, turnovers, inconsistent offense, and generally sloppy play.
This trend continued against the Panthers, costing them early when Ihmir Smith-Marsette returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown, putting the Panthers ahead 7-0. The Bears' special teams faltered, failing to tackle Smith-Marsette effectively.
Offensive woes also plagued the Bears in the first half. In Panthers territory and trailing 10-3, Teven Jenkins' holding penalty led to a second-and-20 situation. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy's attempt at a bold play fell flat when Bagent missed a crucial pass to Roschon Johnson and then a screen pass was marred by offensive pass interference.
By halftime, despite running 42 plays for 205 yards, the Bears were still down 10-9.
Meanwhile, the Panthers' offense was dismal, managing only 97 yards and converting just 2 of 6 third downs. Their lead was solely due to the Bears' poor special teams performance on Smith-Marsette's return.
Bagent's performance was notably shaky. His first half as the starting quarterback was particularly rough, with missed throws and near interceptions. By halftime, his stats were unimpressive, yet he still outperformed Young, who completed only 7 of 14 passes for 63 yards. The Panthers' offense was ineffective against the Bears' defense.
Once the Bears took the lead in the third quarter, they largely took the ball out of Bagent's hands. He ended the night with a modest 20 completions out of 33 attempts for just 162 yards, avoiding the critical mistakes of previous games.
The Bears' defense was the standout of the evening. Head coach Matt Eberflus hinted at having strategies "up their sleeves," and it showed. The Bears' defense stifled Young and the Panthers' offense, allowing only 213 yards and 3.7 yards per play, with just six offensive points conceded. They kept the Panthers to a mere 43 rushing yards and limited Young to 4.1 yards per attempt, ending with 185 yards, most gained in the final drives.
Kyler Gordon was exceptional in coverage, run support, and blitzing. Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson effectively contained the Panthers' receivers, while the defensive line, including Montez Sweat, Yannick Ngakoue, Rasheem Green, and Justin Jones, consistently pressured Young.
| POLL | ||
10 NOVEMBRE | 23 ANSWERS Key Takeaways: Bears' Defense Overwhelms Bryce Young and the Panthers Do the Bears have a bottom 5 defense in the league? | ||
| yes | 8 | 34.8 % |
| no | 15 | 65.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
