Five Key Questions About the Panthers-Bears Game

The Carolina Panthers will play the Chicago Bears in their home opener this Sunday.  Bleacher Report Columnist Matt Gilmartin answers five key questions to get you ready for the game.

1. Both the Panthers and Bears are coming off of wins against top AFC teams last week.  Which upset was more impressive?

The Panthers trumped the Chargers last week.  The 26-24 result of the game is much closer than the game really was.  The Panthers thoroughly outplayed the Chargers for much of the game.  Simply put, the Panthers beat one of the best teams in the NFL last Sunday.

The Bears, meanwhile, took down the Colts in their home debut at their new Lucas Oil Stadium.  The only positive on Indianapolis’s side is that Peyton Manning threw for 257 yards (6th in NFL) and their only touchdown, good for sixth in the league.  Chicago simply shut Indy’s explosive attack down. 

I’m gonna say that the Panthers victory was more impressive if only for the fact that the Carolina passing game was better than Chicago’s.  Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme threw for almost 100 yards more than Bears QB Kyle Orton and the Panthers’ best pass catcher caught more than three times as many passes for more than twice as many yards as the Bears’ best receiver.    

1. The Bears defense looks dynamite after allowing the Colts just 293 yards of total offense last week.  The Panthers offense looks to be much improved from last year after they accumulated 388 total yards against one of the best defenses in the NFL.  Which side will give?

Very tough question.  The Panthers offense looked mostly superb against the Chargers, although they couldn’t finish off several drives because they got away from what they wanted to do (and what was working)—running the ball.  The Bears held the Colts to less than 300 yards.  Enough said.

            I have to give the nod to the Panthers offense.  The Chargers defensive line was a 3-4, a scheme ripe for good inside runs, and the Panthers capitalized for 142 yards on 29 carries.  But even though the Bears defensive line features two premier players in Adewale Ogunleye and Tommie Harris, the left side of the line is pedestrian.  All the Panthers have to do continue their offensive success is run to the left side of the Bears defensive line.     

1. What will the X-Factor in this game be?

For the Panthers, it’s the front seven.  If the Bears beat Carolina, Chicago running back Matt Forte will likely be the reason.  The front seven must contain him and prevent him from breaking off any long runs.  This doesn’t seem like much of a stretch after the Panthers run defense held Chargers back LaDainian Tomlinson to 97 yards on 21 carries last week.

For the Bears, it’s middle linebacker and defensive anchor Brian Urlacher.  The brickwall defender notched eight tackles against the Colts last week.  The Bears will really need him to step up this week against a vastly improved Panthers rushing attack.  Urlacher is fully capable of doing this, as we’ve seen in the past.

1. How would a win in this game affect the Bears?  The Panthers?

Well, obviously, a win in this game would make the victor 2-0 with lots of momentum heading into Week 3.

But furthermore, a win for the Panthers this week would prove even more to themselves and to the league that they are already an elite rushing team on both sides of the ball.  That kind of confidence in the all-around rushing game would really give them a boost for their Week 3 game against the Vikings, a great rushing team (although only their run offense looked good against the Packers).

            A win for the Bears would further prove to themselves and the rest of the league that Forte is the real deal and that their dominant rush defense is back in full force this year.  If the Bears win this week, I’d be scared if I were the Bucs (their Week 3 opponent) or the Vikings or Packers.

5. Who will win?

This game will be very close, but the Panthers have the kind of passing attack that the Bears need if they are ever gonna be a truly dangerous team.  Edge: Panthers.