Final Score: Bears 36 Panthers 10
On a beautiful Chicago afternoon this week, the Bears took care of the Panthers in a dominant 36-10 victory. While they were expected to win the game, the fashion in which the team took care of business was extremely encouraging. Caleb Williams played well, DJ Moore had his best game of the season, and the defense absolutely shut down Carolina.
Bright Spots
Pressure Numbers Went Way Up
After last week’s game, I noticed that the Bears had been getting severely out-pressured recently. Luckily, after forcing only 9 and 8 pressures in Weeks 3 and 4, respectively, the defensive line racked up 27 against the Panthers. That marked their highest total of the year thus far. The defense also recorded a whopping 6 sacks, doubling their previous 2024 high. This is a very exciting development that will hopefully continue on as we get later into the season.
Offense was Firing on All Cylinders
Simply put, everything was working on offense. It was very encouraging to see efficiency out of both the rushing and passing attacks. Williams racked up 304 passing yards while he and the running backs combined for a solid 128 yards on the ground. The offense cashed in 3 touchdowns via the rushing attack and 2 through the air. They operated with a sort of balance that was not present in Weeks 1-3.
Another Week, Another QB Shutdown
While it should come as no surprise, this Bears secondary continues to shut down opposing passing games. This week, Panthers QB Andy Dalton was the victim. Dalton walked out of Soldier Field on Sunday with zero touchdowns and only 136 passing yards to his name, along with an interception. Veteran safety Kevin Byard was the star this week, but Jaylon Johnson, Jaquan Brisker (who forced a fumble), Tyrique Stevenson, and Kyler Gordon are all playing their part each and every week. This is a lockdown secondary.
Glaring Issues
Rushing Efficiency is Low
Though D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson combined for 98 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns, their efficiency stats were still not where they need to be. They averaged 3.5 and 2.2 yards per carry this week, respectively. While this is certainly a knit-pick, it could be an issue against more formidable opponents.
Standout Performers
Caleb Williams
QB Caleb Williams was absolutely the standout performer of the game for me. This was the most impressive game of his career. He surpassed the 300 passing yard mark for the second time this year and added another multi-touchdown game to his short game log. After the first play of the game, he kept the football out of harm’s way and looked in-control of the offense for the duration of the contest. He ran for a couple of first-downs and used his athleticism to make some impressive escapes from the pocket. His second touchdown pass to DJ Moore in which he looked-off the safety was the most encouraging piece of the afternoon to me. That was a veteran play that Williams made in only his 5th NFL start. It seems like Caleb may have officially arrived.
Kevin Byard
It feels like players from the secondary are taking turns with these breakout games. This week, safety Kevin Byard was the star. Byard put up the 2nd-highest PFF grade among all NFL safeties in Week 5 (91.7), and the 1st ranked player played less than half the snaps than KB did. Byard led the Bears defense in tackles and topped off his performance with a beautiful sprawling interception.
Gervon Dexter Sr.
Second-year defensive lineman Gervon Dexter Sr. did a phenomenal job rushing the passer this Sunday in arguably the best game of his young career. He recorded 2 sacks and 6 QB pressures. Sunday marked Dexter Sr’s 2nd-highest PFF grade of his career. His second-year leap is exactly what Bears fans had hoped for heading into the season. Considering GM Ryan Poles’ decision to leave the defensive line generally unaddressed this offseason, it is huge for an in-house talent like Dexter Sr. to start producing.
Were the Keys to the Game Met?
Both of Chicago’s keys to the game were met! First, I’d said that Chicago needed to limit Dalton’s deep ball. After finishing 9th and 8th in yards via the “deep pass” in his first two starts, the Red Rifle finished 19th in the stat this week (PFF).
In addition to shutting down Carolina’s offensive strength, the Bears also achieved their offensive key: to let Caleb Williams loose. The gameplan contained much less horizontal passes and enabled Caleb to attack the defense down the field. Williams responded by posting another 300-yard statline.
Key Drive of the Game
The key drive of the game came just before halftime. The Panthers handed the ball over to Caleb Williams and the offense with only 55 seconds remaining in the half. While previous Bears teams would fail to score in this situation (and may even take a knee), Williams quickly led the team down the field en route to a 30-yard touchdown pass to DJ Moore. Pouring on another touchdown before halftime was demoralizing from Carolina’s perspective.