Week 5 in the NFL brought together two carnivorous predators: the Chicago Bears and the Carolina Panthers at Soldier Field on Sunday. The Chicago Bears were favored to win the game, but all of the Panthers’ captains were declared out before the start of the game due to injuries. Could the depleted Panthers squad give the home team a run for its money?
First Quarter
Carolina got the ball first. Andy Dalton trotted onto the field after a touchback to the 30-yard line. The first play was run with Chuba Hubbard. The next play was a play-action pass to Hubbard that was snuffed out. Dalton dropped back to pass on 3rd and 5 and threw an incompletion to Tommy Tremble, the Panthers TE. Carolina punted on 4th down, no return by the Bears.
Caleb Williams took the first snap of the game and threw a ball right to Panthers JC Horn. It should have been a pick-6, but the defender dropped it. The next play was an outside zone to Chicago Bears RB D’Andre Swift. Caleb got sacked at their 13-yard line on 3rd down. The Chicago Bears also went three and out to start the game and punted it away from their endzone.
Carolina Panthers take over at their 49-yard line. 3rd and 2 Dalton in shotgun – short pass to Hubbard, tackled by the Chicago Bears linebacker TJ Edwards 1 yard short of the first down. Panthers went for it on 4th down, and WR Dionte Johnson rushed around the edge for the first down. Chuba Hubbard took the handoff on the next play 38 yards for a touchdown. PAT good.
On the next Chicago Bears possession, a run by WR DeAndre Carter around the edge for a first down, then several runs by RB D’Andre Swift moved the ball down the field with little resistance. WR Rome Odunze catches a pass for a 1st down on the next play, and Keenan Allen made a catch for 3 yards. Caleb Williams completed a 34-yard touchdown pass to DJ Moore. PAT good.
On the Carolina Panthers’ next possession, they moved the ball down the field in short chunks, with their big offensive line getting a good push up front. 3rd and 13 yards after a penalty for too many men in the huddle, Andy Dalton dropped back to pass, then got sacked by DE Demarcus Walker of the Chicago Bears. Ensuing Carolina punt bounced at the 1-yard line for a touchback.
Second Quarter
Caleb Williams hit DJ Moore on another big play for 23 yards on the Chicago Bears’ next possession. RB D’Andre Swift added a big 18-yard run for a 1st down. Caleb Williams rushed for another first down to the Panther 12-yard line. Swift had a powerful run to the 1-yard line, followed by a Bears penalty for an illegal shift. The Panthers had a penalty on the next play, making it 1st and goal from the 3-yard line. Two plays later, RB Roschon Johnson took a handoff and followed Doug Kramer into the endzone. 13 plays, an 80-yard drive, and a PAT good.
The Panthers’ next possession goes three and out. The Panthers’ punt is nearly blocked and returned by DeAndre Carter of the Chicago Bears for short yardage. Bears take over on their 25-yard line. On 3rd down and 11 for the Bears, Caleb Williams throws to TE Gerald Everett for a first down. Roschon Johnson got back-to-back runs for a first down. A few plays later, 3rd and 2 for the Bears – they tried to run Roschon up the middle but only got one yard. The Bears go for it on 4th down, trying another handoff to Roschon, who was stuffed.
Panthers take over on downs. Chicago Bears’ safety Jonathon Owens came on a blitz and sacked Panters’ QB Andy Dalton to make it 3rd and 12 from their 37-yard line. Dalton threw to TE Tommy Tremble on the next play and was hit right away by Bears safety Jaquan Brisker. The hit made Tremble fumble the football, and the Chicago Bears DT Gervon Dexter Sr. recovered the ball. Chicago takes over, and in the first play, a screen pass to RB D’Andre Swift went for 42 yards to the 2-yard line. Swift scored a rushing TD 2 plays later. PAT good.
Carolina tried to put together a 2-minute drive before the end of the half but could not move the ball into scoring territory. On 4th down and 3, Andy Dalton threw incomplete to Dionte Johnson. The Bears took over on downs at their 38-yard line, and Caleb Williams hit TE Cole Kmet for 25 yards and got out of bounds to stop the clock. On 2nd and 8, DJ Moore scored a 30-yard touchdown on a laser-accurate pass from Caleb Williams. Bears kicker Cairo Santos missed the PAT. The Panthers attempted a field goal before the half and missed.
Third Quarter
The Chicago Bears lead to start the second half 27-7. Bears get the ball first to start the 2nd half. The Bears go 3 and out and punt. Chicago Bears’ safety Kevin Byard III picked off an Andy Dalton pass on the Panthers’ first drive of the 2nd half. Chicago Bears take over and immediately Caleb Williams hits Keenan Allen for 19 yards and a first down to the Panthers’ 30-yard line.
DJ Moore caught a 16-yard pass on the next play. Third down and eight at the Panthers 12-yard line – Caleb Williams scrambled and got a first down to the 3-yard line. A clipping penalty on the Bears pushes them back to the 16-yard line a few plays later. After a few more penalties and plays, the Bears brought out Cairo Santos for a 33-yard field goal. The kick was good, and the Chicago Bears led 30-7.
Panthers are 0-6 on 3rd downs at this juncture in the game; 3rd and 6, the Panthers call a timeout to set up a short pass for a first down. A few plays later, on another 3rd down for the Panthers, a penalty on an incomplete pass gave Carolina a first down. The next play was a 29-yard pass from Dalton to WR Mingo. The Chicago Bears’ defense stiffens and holds Carolina to a field goal. Bears lead 30-10.
Injury update for the Bears, starting guard Teven Jenkins has been ruled out for the remainder of the game with an ankle injury. Khalil Herbert returned the ensuing Panthers’ kickoff 28 yards from the 2-yard line. From the 30-yard line, the Bears start the drive with a penalty. Tory Taylor punted for the Bears a few unsuccessful plays later. Panthers take over at their 23-yard line.
Fourth Quarter
After a 14-yard run by Chuba Hubbard to end the 3rd quarter, the Panthers continued the drive with a 20-yard pass to Dionte Johnson. A few plays later, on 3rd down, Chicago Bears DT Andrew Billings sacked Andy Dalton for a 10-yard loss. After the Panthers punt, the Bears take over on their 20-yard line. The Bears start to run the football to eat as much clock as possible. DJ Moore dropped a pass on 3rd down that would have kept the drive alive, Chicago punts, and the Panthers took over on their 8-yard line with 8:46 left to play.
The Panthers’ meltdown begins as a high snap almost causes a safety in the endzone. A few plays later, Chicago Bears LB Tremaine Edmunds delivered a huge hit on Panthers’ RB Chuba Hubbard, who fumbled the football, recovered by Kyler Gordon of the Bears. The Chicago Bears’ offense takes over at the Carolina 18-yard line. Several plays later, a pass interference call in the endzone gave the Bears 1st and goal at the one-yard line. Bears RB Roschon Johnson followed a Doug Kramer block into the endzone for a TD penalty after the play.
Carolina Panthers CB JC Horn was ejected for throwing punches, and Bears OL Matt Pryor was also tossed for retaliating with punches. The Bears went for two after the penalty instead of kicking the PAT. The conversion failed after Keenan Allen couldn’t keep his feet in bounds on the catch. The Chicago Bears led the Panthers 36-10. The Panthers put Bryce Young in at QB on their ensuing possession, and in the first play, he hit Miles Sanders for a 27-yard catch and run. The Panthers drove into Bears territory, only to turn it over on downs. Backup QB Tyson Bagent came into the game for the Bears to close out the game in victory formation.
Conclusion
Caleb Williams looked like a star, throwing for 304 yards and two touchdowns and no turnovers in this game. DJ Moore finished with 5 catches for 105 yards and 2 TD. Chicago Bears RB Roschon Johnson had two rushing TDs on the day, and fellow RB D’Andre Swift had a rushing TD and 120 all-purpose yards. The Bears’ defense played well but could have been better against the run. The Chicago Bears (3-2) head to London in week 6 to play the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4), who are coming off a big win at home against the Indianapolis Colts.
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