Panthers 13 - 16 Bears summary, stats, scores and highlights | NFL Week 10
The Chicago Bears outlasted the Carolina Panthers in a low scoring affair to kick off Week 10 on Thursday Night. Tyson Bagent threw for 162 yards and D’Onta Foreman scored the Bears only touchdown in the 16-13 win from Soldier Field.
Undrafted QB top No 1 overall pick
Justin Fields sat out for a fourth straight game which meant the undrafted, rookie quarterback who started the preseason as Chicago’s fourth stringer, would get the start against the No. 1 overall draft pick in last spring’s Draft.
Neither team could get anything going on the offensive end, especially in the first half. It took a 78 yard Ihmir Smith-Marsette punt return to put the first points on the board and then the two teams retreated into a battle of field position and field goals.
Bryce Young struggled to move the ball against the underrated Bears defense, going 21/38 for 185 yards. The Panthers had just 12 first downs, went 3/15 on third down and got in to the red zone just once, when they had to settle for one of Eddy Pineiro’s two successful field goals on the night.
Bears still eyeing top spot in Draft
Cairo Santos kept the Bears in the game through the first two quarters, kicking three field goals to send Chicago to halftime down 10-9. The home side would take the lead after starting their sole touchdown drive from the CAR 38. Foreman and Bagent led the Bears inside the 10 yard line and Foreman got into the end zone for the first and only time, which would be enough for Chicago to seal their third win of the season.
The Panthers kicked a field goal to start the fourth quarter, and had a late chance to tie it with a 59 yard field goal, but Piniero’s potential game tying effort fell short with under 2:00 to go and the Panthers dropped to 1-9.
This game was really all about the draft picks after the Panthers traded their first round pick this year along with a handful of other picks in last years draft. The Bears want the Panthers to finish with the league’s worst record so they get the first pick in the draft and then will have their own pick sometime, presumably in the top 10. The Bear win was double as sweet as they got back into the win column, and they kept the Panthers at one win on the season, which is tied with Arizona as the worst record in the NFL.
D'Ontae Foreman seemed to get better and stronger as the game went on, and in the third quarter he punched in this 4 yard TD to give the Bears their first lead of the game.
He went for 80 yards on 21 carries and the Bears rushed for a total of 133 yards.
It was a battle of field position and the Bears won that battle most of the night. Yannick Ngakoue came up with a big sack deep in Panthers territory and that would force a punt that left a short field for Bagent and the Bears.
Tyson Bagent didn't win the game for the Bears on Thursday night but he didn't lose it either. After turning the ball over 5 times last Sunday, the Bears held on to the ball all game long and Bagent went 20/33 for 162 yards.
This is going to be a very short highlights segment, because there just weren't that many highlights to choose from in the Thursday Night game from Soldier Field. Neither team got their offense flowing, and the opening TD of the game came from Ihmir Smith-Marsette as he took this punt 79 yards to the house.
It was a game that was dictated by field position and special teams, and Carolina jumped out to an early lead thanks to a bit of brilliance from their kick returner.
IT'S ALL OVER!!!
The Bears win the battle of draft picks with a lone TD in the third quarter! It's a double win for Chicago who get the win, and they keep Carolina at 1 win which will help them come draft time this spring
Slant pattern from Mooney and he makes the catch despite being crushed and that moves the chains and will seal the win for Chicago!
1st and 10 from the CAR 40 after the 8 yard catch!
Foreman is dropped for a loss of 1 and the Panthers take a timeout with 1:26 to go.
3rd and 7 from the CAR 48.
Foreman gets the handoff on first down and he takes it four yards up the middle.
2nd and 6 from the CAR 47. TO Carolina with 1:31 to go in the fourth.
MISSED FIELD GOAL!!!
The Panthers go for the field goal on 4th and 10 but Pineiro is short on the 59 yard FG and the Bears take over from their 49.
1st and 10 with under 1:40 to go in the fourth quarter.
That pass was almost intercepted bu Sanborn as he jumped on the route ran by Tremble.
4th and 10 from the CHI 41.
Young going deep for Mingo down the right sideline and that pass was a little too heavy.
3rd and 10 from the CHI 41.
Pass to Hurst was a little low and underthrown as the pressure came on Young.
2nd and 10 from the CHI 41.
Young hits Sanders on the out route to the left side for a gain of 13 yards and the Panthers stay alive!
1st and 10 from the CHI 41 with 1:53 to go.
Young over the middle and he finds Hurst again, but he is a yard or two short of the first down and the Panthers will have the Two Minute Warning to think of a play to move the chains.
4th and 2 from the CAR 46 coming up.
Short pass to Tremble and he gets 5 on the catch from the right hash.
3rd and 9 from the CAR 39.
Young is dropped by Green for a loss of 4 yards!
2nd and 14 from the CAR 34.
Slant pass to Thielen over the middle and he takes it 13 yards up field for the first down!
1st and 10 from the CAR 38.
Pass over the middle for Hurst again, but this time he took a shot by Brisker and the ball was jarred out of his hands.
3rd and 3 from the CAR 24.
Pass over the middle for Hurst and he picks up 6 yards on first down.
2nd and 4 from the CAR 24.
Play action bootleg from Young and he tucks and runs for just enough to move the markers.
1st and 10 from the CAR 20.
Hubbard got the handoff out of the shotgun and he was stopped short of the marker!
4th and 1 coming up from the CAR 18.
Young drops back and finds Thielen over the middle and he dives forward for a gain of 9.
3rd and 1 from the CAR 18.
Hubbard gets the first down handoff and he is swallowed up for no gain.
2nd and 10 from the CAR 9.
CAR will get the ball back from their 9 yard line with a chance to tie or take the lead. There is 7:10 left on the clock for the No. 1 pick and his offense.
Screen pass set up for Johnson but that was sniffed out by the Panthers and he drops the RB for a loss of 2.
4th and 8 and the Bear will punt.
Foreman to the right side and he picks up 4 yards.
3rd and 6 from the CAR 40.
Bagent over the middle looking for Kmet but that pass into traffic falls incomplete.
2nd and 10 from the CAR 46.
Johnson gets the ball back and he takes it right to the first down marker on a burst up the middle.
1st and 10 from the CAR 46.
Johnson up the middle for a gain of 4 yards on first down.
2nd and 6 from the CHI 48.
Bootleg to the right side and Bagent finds Kmet on a short throw that he takes 14 yards up the sideline for 14 yards!
1st and 10 from the CHI 44.
CHI get the ball from their 25 looking to run some clock and add to their three point lead.
Foreman gets the handoff on first down and he takes it up the middle for 5 yards.
2nd and 5 from the CHI 30.
FIELD GOAL!!!
Pineiro splits the uprights from 39 yards out and the Panthers cut the deficit to just a field goal.
CHI lead 16-13 with 11:06 to go in the fourth quarter.
Pass over the middle for Marshall, but Gordon was there to bat the ball away.
4th and 6 from the CHI 21 and the FG unit comes on.
Pass to the right side for Sanders out of the backfield and he picks up a yard.
3rd and 6 from the CHI 21.
Blackshear up the middle for a first down run of three yards.
2nd and 7 from the CHI 22.
Young rolls to his right and finds Tremble for an 11 yard gain and that moves the chains after the Panthers had 1st and 30!
1st and 10 from the CHI 25.
An offside gave the Panthers a free five yards, and on 3rd and 12 and Young finds Hubbard on the right side for a gain of 6 yards.
4th and 6 from the CHI 36 coming up and the Panthers are going for it.
Young finds Hubbard out of the backfield and he picks up 10 yards up the left sideline.
3rd and 17 from the CAR 43.
Hubbard gets the handoff to the right side and he picks up 3 yards on the final play of the third quarter .
2nd and 27 coming up. Bears lead 16-10 with 15 minutes to go.
Screen pass to Hubbard and he picks up 6 but a pass interference call against the Panthers will back them up even more.
1st and 30 from the CAR 40.
Young scambles to the right side for a minimal gain, but a holding call will bring the Panthers back.
1st and 20 from the 50.
Bad punt from Gill that goes just 26 yards and the Panthers will take over from the CHI 40.
Draw play to Johnson who is stopped for no gain and the Bear will have to punt on 4th and long.
Bagent found Taylor for a deep shot down the middle, but an offensive pass interference call will erase that play and back the Bears up.
3rd and 19 from the CHI 14.
Foreman is dropped in the backfield by Brown for a loss of one.
3rd and 9 from the CHI 23.
Bagent scrambles to the right side and he picks up 2 yards before running out of bounds.
2nd and 8 from the CHI 24.
Foreman to the right side and he picks up 4 yards and a first down.
1st and 10 from the CHI 22.
CHI take over from their own 9 yard line and Foreman gets the toss to the left side for a pick up of 8 on first down.
2nd and 2 from the CHI 19.
Slant pattern from Mingo who picks up 10 yards but is short of a first down.
4th and 4 from the CHI 45 and the Panthers will punt.
After a false start, Young's short pass to Thielen bounces off the WR's hands and falls incomplete.
3rd and 14 from the CAR 45.
Young's pass to the left side is that flies out of bounds.
2nd and 10 from the CAR 49.
Young finds Thielen over the middle and he takes it up field for a gain of 13 and another first down.
1st and 10 from the CAR 49.
Young over the middle for Marshall and he makes the catch for a gain of 11.
1st and 10 from the CAR 36.
CAR take the ball back from their 25 and Young looks for Thielen but that ball sailed on him.
2nd and 10 from the CAR 25.
After getting great field position off the CAR punt, Foreman and Bagent took the Bears down the field and Foreman punches it to give the Bears the lead.
TOUCHDOWN CHICAGO!!!
For the first time tonight, the Bears are into the endzone with a 3 yard TD run from Foreman!
CHI take their first lead, 16-10 with 6:33 to go in the third quarter.
Mooney on the slant and that pass to the endzone is broken up by Jackson.
2nd and Goal from the CAR 4.
Bagent keeps it on the QB sneak and picks up the 1st down.
1st and Goal from the CAR 4.
Foreman up the middle for a gain of 3 yards.
3rd and 1 from the CAR 5.
Kmet gets the pass to the left flat and he follows his blockers for a 6 yard gain.
2nd and 4 from the CAR 8.
Foreman finds a hole on the right side and burst into the secondary with an 11 yard pick up and a first down.
1st and 10 from the CAR 14.
Bootleg to the right side and Bagent gets a yard on the scramble before running out of bounds.
2nd and 9 from the CAR 25.
Foreman moves the chains on a 3 yard run to the right side.
1st and 10 from the CAR 26.
Roll out from Bagent and he finds Moore for a gain of 9 yards on the left side.
2nd and 1 from the CAR 29.
Great field position for CHI who get the ball at the CHI 38 looking to take their first lead of the game.
Young is sacked on 3rd down and it was Ngakoue who got to the CAR QB.
4th and long and the Panthers will punt.
Dangerous pass to Blackshear to the right side and that found it's way to the WR for a gain of 6.
3rd and 10 from the CAR 9.
Sanders with a run to the left side on first down and he is dragged down for a loss of 6 after Gordon broke through the backfield.
2nd and 16 from the CAR 3.
Good punt from Gill and he pins the Panthers back inside the 10.
1st and 10 from the CAR 9 coming up.
Bagent took a shot down field but that pass to Moore sailed out of bounds.
4th and 8 from the CHI 29.
Bagent finds Foreman out of the backfield but he is pushed out of bounds at the line of scrimmage.
3rd and 8 from the CHI 29.
CHI get the ball from their 27 to start their first drive of the second half.
Foreman gets the handoff on first down and he picks up 2 yards.
2nd and 8 from the CHI 29.
Youngs pass down the left sideline for Strachan is batted away by Stevenson and the Panthers go three and out to start the second half.
4th and 9 from the CAR 26.
Pitch to Sandes on the left side and he picks up a yard.
3rd and 9 from the CAR 26.
WE ARE BACK IN CHICAGO FOR THE SECOND HALF OF ACTION!!!
CAR get the ball from the 25 to start the drive and Young's pass falls incomplete after rolling right on first down.
2nd and 10 from the CAR 25.
Bagent is 14/24 for 127 yards, and most importantly, he hasn't thrown an INT. The Bears haven't seen the end zone yet, and seen the redzone just once, but they have three field goals and trail by just one.
There wasn't much for highlights in the first half from Chicago. The Panthers lead after the first half, but they have gains just 97 yards. Their one TD came on this punt return from Ihmir Smith-Marsette.
FIELD GOAL!!!
Santos drills a 39 yarder as the first half comes to a close.
CAR lead 10-9 after 30 minutes here from Chicago.
Bagent was almost taken down in the backfield, but he escaped the rush and cut it up field for a five yard gain.
2nd and 5 from the CAR 21 and the FG unit comes on.
First down for Kmet who took it 13 yards before getting out of bounds on the right sideline with 12 to go.
1st and 10 from the CAR 26.
Bagent to the right side for Moore and that pass just got away from him and sailed out of bounds.
3rd and 7 from the CAR 40 with 20 on the clock.
Short pass on the stop route to Moore goes for 4 yards but he is tackled in bounds.
2nd and 7 from the CAR 40.
Out route to Moore on the sideline and he gets both feet down for a gain on 14 yards!
1st and 10 from the CAR 43 and the clock stops with 46 seconds to go.
Bagent tucks and runs for the first down on a 7 yard scramble up the middle. Timeout CHI with 50 seconds to go.
1st and 10 from the CHI 43.
Bagent finds Moore on the right side for a short gain of 6 and the Bears will take a timeout with 59 seconds to go in the half.
2nd and 4 from the CHI 36.
CHI take over from their 9 yard line and Bagent hits Johnson for a 6 yard completion. A flag flies for a late hit on Bagent and that will tack on another 15 yards.
1st and 10 from the CHI 30.
Slant pass from Young to Mingo, and that pass should have been picked by Stevenson! The pass was too far ahead of the WR and Stevenson was the closest in the area.
4th and 1 and the Panthers will punt.
Pass to the right sideline for Mingo and he makes the 7 yard catch and gets out of bounds.
3rd and 1 from the CAR 49.
Hubbard gets the handoff and he is stopped after a gain of 2 on first down.
2nd and 8 from the CAR 41.
Young was under pressure and let a pass go to Hubbard that sailed over his head, but an illegal contact against the Bears is going to give the Panthers a free first down.
1st and 10 from the CAR 39.
Pass to the flat for Mingo and he is cut down after a 3 yard gain.
That takes us to the Two Minute Warning with the Panthers looking at 3rd and 3 after the break.
Hubbard gets the handoff and he picks up 4 yard up the middle.
2nd and 6 from the CHI 31.
CAR take over from their 27 with 3:00 to add to their lead before halftime.
FIELD GOAL!!!
Santos hits his second field goal of the night, this time from 36 yards out and the Bears chip away at the Panther's lead.
CAR are up 10-6 with 3:06 to go in the second quarter.
Bagent mishandled the snap and had to let the pass go sooner than he would have like and it fell well short of Evans on the wheel route.
4th and 7 from the CAR 18.
Evans with a short run to the left side and he picks up 2 yards.
3rd and 7 from the CAR 18.
Moore gets theend around and the Panthers weren't fooled, dropping him after a short gain of 1.
2nd and 9 from the CAR 20.
Bagent moves the chains with a deep in route from Scott over the middle for a gain of 15 yards!
1st and 10 from the CAR 21.
Bagent takes a shot downfield for Mooney but that pass was overthrown in the endzone.
4th and 4 and the offense is staying on the field.
Bagent over the middle and he hits Kmet for a gain of 6.
3rd and 4 from the CAR 36.
Screen pass for Johnson on the left side but that pass was way behind the RB and falls incomplete.
2nd and 10 from the CAR 41.
Bagent finds Johnson out of the backfield and he dives forward to move the chains on a 6 yard gain.
1st and 10 from the CAR 41.
Toss to Johnson on the left side and he picks up 3 yards.
3rd and 4 from the CAR 47.
CHI get the ball back form their 47 after the punt and Foreman picks up 3 yards on first down.
2nd and 7 from the CHI 49.
The Bears finally get to Young and drop him for a 6 yard loss on 3rd down.
4th and long and the Panthers will punt.
Young looking short for Thielen but that pass falls short.
3rd and 10 from the CAR 9.
CAR get the ball back from their 9 yard line and Young's pass sails out of bounds as he was getting pressured.
2nd and 10 from the CAR 9.
Bagent finds Johnson out of the backfield and he picks up a couple yards, but the Bears will have to punt again.
4th and 15 from the CHI 48.
Bagent looks short to Johnson on right side and that pass falls incomplete.
3rd and 20 from the CHI 43.
Pass to St. Brown went for 7 yards but that play is coming back after a holding call on CHI.
2nd and 20 from the CHI 43.
Foreman gets the pitch to the left side and he is stopped for no gain.
2nd and 10 from the CAR 47.
End around to Scott who jets up the field for a 16 yard burst and a first down.
1st and 10 from the CAR 47.
Toss to the right side for Foreman for a gain of 3 yards, and he moves the chains.
1st and 10 from the CHI 37.
Bagent hits Kmet on a short pass to the right side and he fights to get an extra few yards.
3rd and 1 from the CHI 34.
CHI start their drive from the 25 after the CAR FG, and Foreman gets three yards on the first down run up the middle.
2nd and 7 from the CHI 28.
FIELD GOAL!!!
Pineiro drills the 33 yard field goal and the Panther stretch their lead back to a TD.
CAR are up 10-3 a minute and a half into the second quarter.
Young's pass over the middle is thrown into the dirt as he tried to hit Mingo and the Panthers will bring out the FG unit.
4th and 9 from the CHI 13.
Hubbard was popped at the line of scrimmage and that will bring up 3rd and long.
3rd and 9 from the CHI 13.
Bootleg from Young and he finds Tremble for a short gain of 1.
2nd and 9 from the CHI 13.
Hubbard up the middle on a nine yard burst and he picks up a first down on the final play of the first quarter.
1st and 10 from the CHI 14.
Thielen makes the catch in the flat and shakes a tackle and picks up 3 yards.
2nd and 7 from the CHI 23.
Deep shot from Young down the left side line for Strong and he drags it in for a 45 yard catch!
1st and 10 from the CHI 26.
CAR take over from the 25 and Blackshear gets 4 yards on a first down run.
2nd and 6 from the CHI 29.
FIELD GOAL!!!
Santos made his first attempt but that was taken back after a false start on CHI. Santos didn't mind the extra five yards, as he drills the 54 yard field goal to put the Bears on the board.
CAR lead 7-3 in a battle of the special teams early on.
Bagent was under pressure in the backfield and he ends up throwing the pass at the feet of his WR and the Bears will try a FG.
4th and 7 from the CAR 30.
Bagent on the play action bootleg looking for Moore in the end zone on a deep shot but that pass was just a bit too far in front of the WR.
3rd and 7 from the CAR 30.
Evans gets the handoff on first down and he picks up 3 yards.
2nd and 7 from the CAR 30.
Pitch to the right side for Foreman and he cuts it back to the middle for a gain of 12 after breaking a few arm tackles.
1st and 10 from the CAR 33.
Bagent finds Foreman out of the backfield and and makes the catch and turns up field for a 12 yard gain.
1st and 10 from the CAR 45.
Foreman gets the handoff up the middle and he picks up 5 on first down.
2nd and 5 from the CHI 43.
CHI get the ball from the 25 and Bagent finds Moore for a 13 yard gain after the pass to the flat and some yards after the catch.
1st and 10 from the CHI 38.
After the punt unit left the Bears at the one and the defense forced a punt deep in CHI territory, it's Smith-Marsette taking the punt 79 yards to the house for the game's first score!
TOUCHDOWN PANTHERS!!!
Smith-Marsette takes it to the house on a 79 yard punt return for the game's first TD!!! Point are going to be few and far between and these two teams will take it where they can get it.
The Panthers strike first and lead 7-0 with 5:46 to go in the first quarter.
Bagent's throw to Moore on the left side is too high for the WR and the Bears will punt for the second time tonight.
4th and 2 from the CHI 23.
Foreman picks up another 4 yards on the handoff to the right side.
3rd and 2 from the CHI 23.
Foreman gets the handoff up the middle and he gets 4 yards on 1st down.
2nd and 6 from the CHI 19
Bagent finds Mooney in the flat on the right side and he takes it up the sideline for a gain of 6 yards and a first down.
1st and 10 from the CHI 15.
Foreman dashes up the middle for a gain of 5 yards.
3rd and 3 from the CHI 9.
Bagent just tries the QB sneak to open some space up for the Bears. He gets 3 yards up the middle.
2nd and 7 from the CHI 4.
Young didn't have anything open downfield so he threw it out of bounds before the rush caught up to him.
4th and 7 from the CHI 48 and the Panthers will punt. This is more than likely going to be a game won on field position and CAR down the punt at the 1 yard line.
Bootleg to the left side for Young and he looked for Marshall beyond the sticks but that pass came in high and the WR couldn't stretch for it.
3rd and 7 from the CHI 48.
Hubbard gets the handoff up the middle for a gain of three yards on first down.
2nd and 7 from the CHI 48.
Young tucks it and runs again, and picks up first down yardage again on a scramble up the middle for 8 yards.
1st and 10 from the CAR 49.
Young goes back to Thielen on the short stop route to the left side and he picks up 6 yards.
3rd and 5 from the CAR 41.
Young to Thielen on the right side but he is dragged down in the flat for a loss of one.
2nd and 11 from the CAR 35.
Young tucks it and runs up the middle for first down yardage! There was a penalty for illegal contact on CHI and that will add 5 yards to the end of the run.
1st and 10 from the CAR 36.
Young under pressure and had to throw it away to avoid getting into a 3rd and long situation.
3rd and 8 from the CAR 22.
Hubbard gets the handoff up the middle and gets 2 yards on first down.
2nd and 8 from the CAR 22.
Bryce Young takes the field, and he leads the Panthers on their first drive from the CAR 20.
Dangerous pass from Bagent looking for Kmet on the out route and he's lucky that didn't get taken back for 6.
4th and 8 from the CHI 43.
Run up the middle for Foreman and he picks up 2 yards.
3rd and 8 from the CHI 43.
Bagent goes back to the air and checks down to Evans but the RB couldn't make the catch.
2nd and 10 from the CHI 41.
Quick pass to the former Panther Moore on the right side and he takes it up field for a 16 yard gain on the WR screen.
1st and 10 from the CHI 41.
WE ARE UNDERWAY FROM CHICAGO!!!
The Bears will get the ball first after the Panthers won the toss and differed.
CHI will start their first drive from the 25.
Tonight’s odds
The Bears return home as 3 point favorites over the Carolina Panthers and the Over/Under is set at 38.
There are plenty of reasons to believe that this is going to be a low scoring game. Two rookie QBs with terrible offenses going head to head. The only way I see this game going over is if the QBs give up turnovers that either get taken for TDs or lead to TDs, which is very plausible, but I think both teams take care of the ball, putting a premium on the run game.
Bears win 17-10.
Bagent back under center for Bears
No one knew who Tyson Bagent was before the season. Only the Bears die hard fans knew who he was once Week 1 kicked off, but he introduced himself to the world in his debut when he came on in relief for Justin Fields in the Bears loss to the Vikings in Week 6. He led Chicago to a win over the Raiders in his first start of his young career throwing for 162 yards and a TD, but in the two games since then, he has thrown just two TDs, and five INTs. The Bears have problems all over the board, but one of the things they are going to want to figure out is if they are sticking with Fields, Bagent, both or none before the season is over because they have draft picks and they will want to use them to bring happier days to the fans in Chicago.
Top pick blues
Most No. 1 overall picks that are QBs come into the league having no idea what it’s like to lose. In high school and in college, they cruise through the competition usually in the running or winning state, or national championships along the way. Once they get to the NFL, there are bound to be some growing pains. Teams with No. 1 picks are usually there for a reason, and even though the Panthers traded with the Bears to get Young with the first pick in the draft, they were still a bad team last year. Now, Young is quickly finding out what it’s like to lose, while skimming the bottom of the just about every statistical category for a QB. His 1,375 yards are 27th among all QBs in the league, and of the QBs that have thrown 7 INTs or more, he has the second least amount of TDs with 8 (behind only Jimmy G).
Fields out tonight
Justing Fields is known as a running quarterback. The Bears knew that when they drafted him, and they knew the risks that revolve around drafting a running quarterback as the face of your franchise. There has been an unproductive instability at the coaching and GM ranks in Chicago, and that hasn’t helped Fields’ situation. Add that to the injury problems he has had to deal with over the last few seasons and you start to understand why it’s been so difficult for him to flourish as a Bear. He has had flashed of brilliance this year, throwing 4 TDs in back to back games, against the Broncos and the Commanders but only one of those resulted in a win. Just as he was starting to find his rhythm, he broke his thumb against the Vikings and has been out ever since. He will be itching to get back under center to prove he is the right fit for the QB1 job in Chicago, but he will have to wait another week. He was listed as doubtful all week, and he has not recovered enough to make the start tonight against the Panthers.
Draft picks pending
The Panthers went all in for the top pick in last years draft, trading their No. 9 overall pick, a 2nd round draft pick (No. 61 overall) and their first round pick this year. They had their minds made up and they wanted Bryce Young with the top pick of the draft. The Bears, who probably had a hunch that this year wasn’t going to be a year that they competed in the NFC, happily traded away their top pick knowing that the Panthers were going to struggle this year as well. That means that the Bears are on the verge of potentially landing two Top 5 picks in the upcoming draft this spring. That’s what makes this matchup so interesting. The Bears know they have the Panthers draft pick, which means the longer they stay with 1 win the better chance they have of getting the first overall pick. On the other hand they want to finish as low as they can to ensure their draft pick lands as high up the draft order as possible. There are a lot of things to figure out in Chicago, but the priority for the rest of the season is figuring out if Justin Fields is the QB of the future.
Bears last week
In his third start ever, Tyson Bagent went toe to toe with Derek Carr and the Saints, as both teams exchanged touchdowns for the first three quarters. It was 17-17 going into the final 15 minutes from the Caesars Super Dome, as Bagent went 18/30 for 220 and threw 2 TDs, but he also turned the ball over four times throwing three picks and fumbling once. The Bears had their chances to beat the Saints, but made mistake after mistake as Paulson Adebo came up with two picks and recovered one fumble in the first three quarters. Chicago had a final opportunity to tie the game up with just over two minutes left, but Bagent was strip sacked and the Saints sealed the game to drop the Bears to 2-7 on the season.
Panthers last week
There are going to be more downs than ups for Bryce Young and the Panthers this year as they look to finally become relevant in the NFC. Two weeks ago they got their first win of the season, when Young beat CJ Stroud in a head to head battle between the No 1 and No 2 pick in the draft. The joy was short lived as the Colts defense shut down the Panthers, and actually out scored them as Kenny Moore picked off Young twice and took both INTs to the house for six. The Panthers outgained the Colts by almost 100 yards but the turnovers killed Carolina’s chances of stringing together two wins in a row.
We are live from Chicago
Hello everyone and welcome Windy City where the Bears return home after losing their last two games on the road to the Chargers and then then Saints. Their starting quarterback Justin Fields has been out from the last few games, and it seems as though he will be out for at least another weeks as the Bears get set to host the Panthers. Carolina followed up their first win of the season with a disappointing outing against the Colts last week. Nothing has been easy for No. 1 overall draft pick Bryce Young and the Panthers offense, but they will look to turn things around tonight in Chicago.
Panthers vs. Bears
Two teams at the bottom of the NFC Standings are set for a primetime battle from Chicago. Heading into the bottom half of the season both of these teams will be more worried about their draft positioning than their playoff chances, but that doesn’t mean there will no reason to tune as the Bears host the Panthers and AS English will be with you all night providing live coverage, stats, scores and highlights of tonight’s Week 10 opener from Soldier Field.