Chicago Bears vs. Carolina Panthers: Complete Week 5 Preview for Chicago
Following a 38-17 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 4, the Chicago Bears will try to right the ship in Week 5 when they head to Carolina to take on the 2-2 Panthers.
The two teams have squared off eight times since the Panthers came into the league in 1995. The Bears lead the all-time series with a record of 5-3 and have won the last three contests.
The Panthers won the NFC South in 2013 with a record of 12-4 but were bounced from the playoffs in the divisional round by the San Francisco 49ers.
After winning their first two games of the season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions, the Panthers have lost their last two games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens.
A year after boasting one of the best defenses in the NFL, the Panthers currently rank 23rd in yards per game, allowing an average of 373.8 yards to opposing offenses. They have been particularly bad against the run, allowing an average of 140.8 yards per game on the ground.
The Panthers' ineffectiveness against the run bodes well for Chicago's Matt Forte on Sunday afternoon.
After a solid performance against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1, Forte was held to just 54 total rushing yards against San Francisco and the New York Jets before racking up 122 yards on the ground against the Green Bay Packers in Week 4.
“That’s how we should run the ball,” Forte said after the loss to Green Bay, via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “The last two weeks have been rough. We worked on it a lot. There were some holes out there.’’
The Bears will likely try to lean on Forte in the running game against Carolina if they want to keep Cam Newton and the Panthers offense off the field.
Newton has been slowed by injuries this season but has thrown for 728 yards with three touchdowns. He has a quarterback rating of 98.2 in three starts.
With injuries to running backs DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert, expect the Panthers to try and throw the football on Sunday afternoon. With the Bears failing to get much pressure on the quarterback this season, Newton will pose another difficult threat to the defensive line.
Sunday's contest with the Panthers will mark the first of back-to-back meetings against the NFC South for the Bears, who will square off against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6. It is rare for a game in early October to be extremely important, but with the Lions sitting at the top of the division and the Packers starting to heat up on offense, a win in Carolina will go a long way in helping the Bears stay in the playoff chase.
Here is our Chicago Bears vs. Carolina Panthers preview for Week 5.
Chicago Bears Week 4 Recap
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After two impressive road victories against the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets in Weeks 2 and 3, the Chicago Bears fell to the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field by a score of 38-17 in Week 4.
The Bears accumulated 496 yards of total offense, including 122 yards on the ground from Matt Forte, but the offense struggled to punch the football into the end zone in the second half.
Quarterback Jay Cutler finished with 256 passing yards and two touchdowns but threw two costly interceptions in the second half.
While the offense was struggling to put points on the board, the defense struggled all afternoon to slow down Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay's offense.
Rodgers threw for 302 yards, completed more than 75 percent of his passes and finished the game with four touchdowns.
Following the game, cornerback Tim Jennings was quick to praise Rodgers' effort, via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times:
"Tim Jennings: "He was on fire. That’s Aaron Rodgers."
— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) September 28, 2014"
In his weekly press conference earlier this week, head coach Marc Trestman noted his game plan revolved around keeping the football out of Rodgers' hand, but the team was unable to execute.
“I think it’s all a part of continuity football,” Trestman told the media, via ChicagoFootball.com's Kevin Fishbain.
He continued:
"We’ve got to hang on to the football. We went into the game thinking that if we could have the ball for 36 minutes, we’d eliminate [Rodgers'] opportunities to make plays. You take the turnovers out of it, it’s a different game. We didn’t play enough continuity football to get it done. But we were in a place where we could have made it a football game in the fourth quarter. We took it away from ourselves by turning the ball over.
"
With Week 4 officially behind them, Trestman and the Bears will now turn their focus to slowing down Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers in Week 5.
News and Notes
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Chris Williams to Get Another Shot at Returning Kicks
The Bears have struggled all season long to find a competent kick returner, and it appears Chris Williams will get another shot to keep the job after being elevated to the 53-man roster this past week, via TheGameChicago.com's Adam Hoge:
"The returner carousel continues. Chris Williams promoted from practice squad and Rashad Ross waived. #Bears
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) September 30, 2014"
Williams was the presumed favorite to land the kick returner position out of training camp until a hamstring injury forced him to miss the majority of the preseason.
He was initially cut and placed on the practice squad at the beginning of the season before being elevated to the 53-man roster and activated against San Francisco in Week 2. Following the team's victory over the 49ers, he was waived and signed back to the practice squad.
He was once a dominant return man in the Canadian Football League. In 2012, he set a CFL record with six return touchdowns to go along with 1,117 punt-return yards.
Williams will now take over for Rashad Ross as the team's top kick returner.
Kyle Fuller Named Defensive Rookie of the Month
After hauling in three interceptions and forcing two fumbles through the team's first four games, Kyle Fuller was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month, via the NFL's Director of NFC Football Communications Randall Liu:
"NFL Defensive Rookie of September: @ChicagoBears CB Kyle Fuller (@kbfuller17). 3rd Bear to win Def ROM (Urlacher, Mark Anderson)
— Randall Liu (@RLiuNFL) October 2, 2014"
The 14th overall pick in this past May's draft, Fuller has seen his role expand on defense since Charles Tillman was lost for the season back in Week 2.
On Sunday against the Panthers, Fuller will have a chance to go up against Kelvin Benjamin, the NFC Offense Rookie of the Month.
"#Panthers WR @kelvinbenjamin has been named NFL Offensive Rookie of Month for September! #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/fCOIDdvZeB
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) October 2, 2014"
Benjamin leads Carolina with a 329 receiving yards and three touchdowns and will be a challenge for Fuller to slow down in the red zone.
Jared Allen Is Trying to Return from Bout with Pneumonia
After Jared Allen missed practice all of last week due to an illness, NFL insider Jay Glazer confirmed before kickoff this past Sunday that he was sitting out Chicago's Week 4 contest due to pneumonia:
"Jared Allen is out today bc pneumonia. Weight dropped all the way to 237. Had another chest xray this AM. Still wanted to play
— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) September 28, 2014"
The Bears struggled to put any pressure on Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers without Allen in the lineup, but he told reporters on Wednesday he was hoping to return this week against Carolina.
“Hopefully, I’ll be back up by the weekend," Allen said, via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
“I’m more concerned about recovery time with my lungs, when I’m coming back,” he said. “Everything feels good right now...So I think it’s just eating and rehydrating and getting all that weight back on."
If he is able to return on Sunday, Lance Briggs knows just how important it is to have Allen out there, via the team's official Twitter account:
"#Bears LB Lance Briggs on Jared Allen possibly returning to play: "It's big. It's huge. If Jared plays, it's going to be a big boost."
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) October 1, 2014"
He will likely be limited if he returns on Sunday, but Allen's presence alone should help improve the team's pass rush against the Panthers.
Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Injury Status |
| Matt Slauson | OL | Limited |
| Roberto Garza | OL | Limited |
| Jeremiah Ratliff | DT | Did Not Practice (DNP) |
| Sherrick McManis | CB | Limited |
| Jermon Bushrod | OT | Out |
| Shea McClellin | LB | DNP |
| Jared Allen | DE | Limited |
| Ahmad Dixon | S | DNP |
All injury statuses from Kevin Fishbain of ChicagoFootball.com and reflect Thursday's practice.
After suffering ankle injuries against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1, offensive linemen Matt Slauson and Roberto Garza might be able to play this Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.
Slauson was confident after practice on Wednesday that he will play this Sunday, but he knows the training staff makes the final decision.
“I don’t know. In my mind, I’m playing, but I can’t play until they say OK, so I’m just waiting on that,” Slauson said, via ChicagoFootball.com's Kevin Fishbain. “I’m just waiting for the nod."
Both Slauson and Garza practiced in a limited capacity this week, but head coach Marc Trestman does not want to rush things.
“We want to get them back as soon as we can, but we want them to be in a position where they’re not going to hurt themselves anymore and are in a position to help our team win,” Trestman said, via Fishbain. “It’s good to see them out there.”
Both Jermon Bushrod and Jeremiah Ratliff were limited in practice on Wednesday, but neither participated in practice on Thursday. Some were concerned about their regression, via Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com:
"Obviously, concerns over Bushrod & Ratliff. Both went backwards after being limited on Wed.
— Jeff Dickerson (@ESPNChiBears) October 2, 2014"
Friday afternoon, the team ruled Bushrod out of Sunday's game, via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune:
"#Bears rule LT Jermon Bushrod out and my hunch is Michael Ola takes his place as Matt Slauson is probable.
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) October 3, 2014"
Shea McClellin and Ahmad Dixon did not practice this week. According to Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com, McClellin is out for Sunday's game:
"Shea McClellin is out this week.
— Michael C. Wright (@mikecwright) October 2, 2014"
Jared Allen and Sherrick McManis were both limited during Thursday's practice, but, according to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times, it sounds like Allen will start Sunday.
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X-Factors and Matchups to Watch
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Ryan Mundy vs. Greg Olsen
A former first-round pick of the Chicago Bears back in 2007, tight end Greg Olsen spent four seasons with the Bears before being traded to the Carolina Panthers for a third-round pick in 2011.
Over the past two years in Carolina, Olsen has averaged 71 catches, nearly 830 yards and five touchdowns per season. Through four games this season he has 21 catches for 254 yards and two touchdowns.
"In 4 years w/#Bears, Greg Olsen had 194 catches for 1981 yards and 20 TDs. He's in his 4th year w/Carolina (208 catches, 2453 yds, 18 TDs).
— Zach Zaidman (@ZachZaidman) September 30, 2014"
While much of the focus in the passing game goes toward slowing down Carolina's 2014 first-round pick Kelvin Benjamin, Olsen continues to be a major threat in the middle of the field.
The Bears may try to slow him down with a linebacker off the line of scrimmage, but their best bet to slow him down is to match him up against strong safety Ryan Mundy.
Mundy has the speed and athleticism to hang with Olsen and is one of only a handful of Chicago Bears with a positive grade in pass coverage (plus-0.5) this season, via Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
If the Bears cornerbacks are able to slow down Benjamin and Jerricho Cotchery on the outside, expect Olsen to be targeted heavily throughout the game.
Stephen Paea vs. Ryan Kalil
In order to slow down Carolina's running attack as well as quarterback Cam Newton, Chicago's defensive line is going to need to play well, particularly nose tackle Stephen Paea.
Paea has had an up-and-down start to the 2014 season. According to Pro Football Focus, Paea has the second-most quarterback hurries on the roster with eight, but he only has one sack through the first four games of the season.
Despite Paea only racking up one sack, defensive coordinator Mel Tucker feels he has impressed as a pass-rusher, via the team's official Twitter account:
"Tucker on #Bears DT Stephen Paea as pass rusher: "I think he's gotten better. He's worked really hard at that."
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 24, 2014"
Standing between Paea and Carolina quarterback Cam Newton will be four-time Pro Bowl center Ryan Kalil.
Kalil has been a fixture in the Panthers' starting lineup since he was selected in the second round of the 2007 NFL draft. He is quick and athletic and does a great job of using his athleticism to keep opposing defensive tackles from coming up the field.
Paea has the potential to be a dominant force as a pass-rusher and will face his most difficult challenge of the season this Sunday afternoon against Kalil.
Bears' X-Factor of the Week: Martellus Bennett
A week after hauling in nine catches for 134 yards against the Green Bay Packers, tight end Martellus Bennett will be looking to build off his strong start to the 2014 season against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday afternoon.
Bennett currently leads the team in catches (29) and receiving yards (295) and is second in touchdowns with four behind Brandon Marshall's five.
Wide receivers Marshall and Alshon Jeffery have both missed time this season due to nagging injuries, leaving Bennett to flourish in their absence.
Bennett currently has a team-high 37 targets, five more than Marshall, and has developed into a security blanket for quarterback Jay Cutler.
The Carolina Panthers have done a nice job of slowing down opposing tight ends through the first four weeks, allowing just 173 total receiving yards between Tampa Bay's Brandon Myers, Detroit's Eric Ebron, Pittsburgh's Heath Miller and Baltimore's Owen Daniels.
Expect the Panthers to try and slow down Bennett with a combination of linebacker Luke Kuechly and safety Roman Harper this Sunday.
If the Panthers are able to keep Marshall and Jeffery at bay on the outside like the Packers were able to in Week 4, expect Bennett to once again become a focal point for Cutler in the passing game this week.
Prediction
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This may be the most difficult game to predict for the Chicago Bears so far this season.
Chicago showed flashes of what it can do on offense and defense earlier this season, but that all seemed to go out the window last week against the Green Bay Packers.
Which defense will show up on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers? The one that held Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers without a touchdown in the second half in Week 2, or the one that gave up four touchdowns to Aaron Rodgers this past Sunday at Soldier Field?
After Cam Newton's offseason ankle surgery and a rib injury in the preseason, the Panthers have yet to truly "unleash" him on offense.
"We've got to do things the right way," head coach Ron Rivera said in regard to Newton, via Dave Newton of ESPN.com. "You don't want to unleash him until he's ready to be unleashed. We've got to listen what the trainers and doctors are saying, and then we've got to listen to what he's telling us."
If Newton is unable to be unleashed on offense this week, the Panthers will have to rely on a banged-up running game to carry the load. Mike Tolbert, DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart and Fozzy Whittaker have all struggled with injuries this season, leaving the Panthers to likely start undrafted rookie Darrin Reaves at running back this Sunday.
After all their struggles last season against the run, the Bears appear to have righted the ship during the first quarter of the season. After surrendering a league-worst 161.4 yards per game last season, the team has allowed an average of 122.5 yards per game in 2014. While the Bears currently sit as the 21st-best run defense in the league, it is still an improvement over a defense in 2013 that was getting gashed in the running game week in and week out.
As long as the Panthers do not "unleash" Newton and the defense is able to slow down the running game, all the pressure will be placed on Carolina's offense to deliver.
Through the first four weeks of the season, Carolina has struggled to replicate the success it had on defense in 2014. The team has looked like a different defense without Greg Hardy on the field after he was placed on the Exempt/Commissioner's Permission List last month.
The Panthers still have arguably the best linebacker in football manning the middle of the field in Luke Kuechly, but their secondary has been average at best this season.
If Jay Cutler and the offense can get into a rhythm like they did in the first half against the Green Bay Packers, there is a good chance the Bears can improve to 3-0 on the road this season with a victory over the Carolina Panthers.
Prediction: Bears 27, Panthers 17
Record/statistical information provided via email from the Chicago Bears or NFL.com.
Matt Eurich is an NFL/Chicago Bears Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
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