WEEK 6 PREVIEW: Carolina Panthers vs Chicago Bears
Week 6
Carolina (3-2) vs Chicago (4-1)
Bank of America Stadium - Charlotte, NC
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Spread: EVEN
What to expect: When the Panthers have the ball
The Carolina Panthers continue to find ways to get it done on the offensive side of the ball despite being down their best player - RB Christian McCaffrey. Much of the team's success can be credited to quarterback Teddy Bridgewater who has been magnificent through the first five weeks of the regular season and is currently 2nd in completion percentage (72%).
The big knock on Bridgewater is that he "can't throw" the deep ball. I don't know that I buy that necessarily, but if you do, this week's matchup vs Chicago shouldn't worry you. Opponents are only averaging to throw the ball 6.1 yards per attempt, which could play into the hands of Bridgewater who can slice and dice the Bears' defense with the quick passing game. The Chicago secondary has played probably a little better than expected only allowing 230.8 passing yards per game, which ranks 10th in the league. Some of that may be misleading considering the offenses that the Bears have played, but the numbers are what they are.
To help Bridgewater and the passing game in a rhythm, the Panthers will need to have some solid production once again out of running back Mike Davis out of the backfield. Davis played for the Bears prior to coming to Carolina, so this could be an emotional game for him, but in a good way. The Bears have been average in stopping the run allowing 113.2 yards per game on the ground, but where Davis could really gash Chicago is in the passing game. Since filling in for McCaffrey going back to the 4th quarter of the team's loss to Tampa Bay, Davis is averaging 7.5 receptions and 51.5 receiving yards per game.
The main key for the Panthers' offense will be finishing off drives with touchdowns and not stalling out. We have seen this reoccurring issue week to week and the Bears have one of the best red zone and third down defenses in the league, which will pose a major challenge.
What to expect: When the Bears have the ball
Chicago is an average offense away from being a really good team. Yes, they have a 4-1 record but they could be taken seriously as a contender in the NFC if they had some form of an offense. Neither Mitchell Trubisky or Nick Foles have provided much of a spark in the passing game. Both have played well at times, but nothing to get overly concerned about.
What has been extremely concerning for Bears' fans is the lack of a rushing attack. Chicago is 27th in the NFL in rushing yards per game, averaging just 95.4 yards on the ground. For a defense that has struggled containing the run game, this is a sigh of relief for the Panthers. With that said, they can't get overly confident because David Montgomery can still hurt you and is able to pop off a big run at any moment.
With a struggling run game, Carolina may not play as many people in the box as usual but still may bring more pressure considering the Bears don't take many shots down the field. Chicago only averages 5.7 yards per pass attempt, so forcing Foles to throw it downfield may be the gameplan for Phil Snow's defense.
Prediction: Panthers 23, Bears 21
During the Panthers' three-game winning streak, they have had the lead entering the 4th quarter in each game. Carolina is 6th in the NFL in 4th quarter time of possession share percentage (57.6%), which minimizes the chance of a comeback. I don't see Chicago getting the ball more than two times in the 4th quarter, which puts them at a huge disadvantage.
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