The Panthers are coming off a tough loss to one of the best teams in the NFC, in which they didn’t necessarily play poorly, but ultimately made too many mistakes and lost one of the most important battles by turning the ball over three times, which let to them losing the ultimate battle: on the scoreboard. The Bears are a confusing opponent, with phenomenal guard play the past three weeks, a pounding run game, a young secondary, and an enigmatic young quarterback who seemingly can’t throw left. As always, here is our five part preview.
Five Panthers We Have Questions About:
#22 Christian McCaffrey, Running Back
With Kelvin Benjamin banged up, is this the week that McCaffrey transitions to wide receiver? Will he be the Panthers leading pass catcher or has Devin Funchess developed enough to take over as the Panthers true number one receiver? Is it time to start giving him more carries as a true running back or is Jonathan Stewart still the Panthers best rusher?
#27 Kevon Seymour, Cornerback
The Bears receiving corp is a group of smaller receivers who are going to rely on speed and precise routes to win against the Panthers secondary, as such, Seymour should theoretically see more snaps than Daryl Worley against the Bears. Will he outsnap Worley for the second week in a row or has the coaching staff regained confidence in Worley? If he does see more snaps, will he be able to keep up with Kendall Wright and Joshua Bellamy? Can he take down Jordan Howard who has been known to run over smaller corners?
#70 Trai Turner, Offensive Guard
After getting outmatched by Fletcher Cox on what seemed like every play last week, can Turner bounce back? Can he keep Akiem Hicks and Mitch Unrein from getting to Newton? What can he do to build confidence as a run blocker? Will Turner’s physical bruising nature prove to be too much for the Bears defensive tackles?
#55 David Mayo, Linebacker
With Luke Kuechly officially out for Sunday’s game, David Mayo will likely start at middle linebacker and the obvious question is how will he handle the starting role? Was his poor situational awareness last week due to nerves or will it be an issue moving forward? Will he make coverage adjustments pre-snap? Can he make a difference in coverage and against the run?
#19 Russell Shepard, Wide Receiver
Shepard has been relatively quiet after starting strong against the San Francisco 49ers, but is that a symptom of Newton not making it to Shepard in his progression or has he simply not been a good option? With Benjamin not at full-strength will Shepard see an increase in targets and production?
Four important matchups:
Daryl Williams vs Pernell McPhee
Another week, another battle between a defensive end and an offensive tackle. This week Daryl Williams will be tasked with keeping Pernell McPhee in check. Thankfully for Williams, McPhee succeeds with technique and brute strength which happens to be the type of player that Williams is best at defending. Williams has a sizable advantage over McPhee considering he is two inches taller, 61 pounds heavier and is three years younger than his opponent. If Williams can keep McPhee from disrupting the backfield then the Panthers offensive line might be able to give Jonathan Stewart and McCaffrey enough room to make plays.
Kawann Short vs Josh Sitton
Josh Sitton is one of the NFL’s best guards and, as if you didn’t know, Kawann Short is one of the NFLs best defensive tackles. As such, this matchup will be one of the keys to victory for either team. If Sitton wins and opens up lanes for Jordan Howard, the Bears will likely win; if Short wins this matchup, the Bears offense becomes one dimensional with a rookie quarterback at the helm and the Panthers defense won’t need to keep eight players in the box which opens up the playbook significantly.
Devin Funchess vs Prince Amukamara
With Kelvin Benjamin’s health being up in the air we will focus on his likely replacement as the first option. Devin Funchess has played lights out this year and will be asked to succeed against a great cornerback in Amukamara. If Funchess can’t win this matchup, the Panthers offense will look to Curtis Samuel or Russell Shepard to step up and make plays against a young athletic secondary. If Funchess wins this matchup, Newton will likely force-feed Funchess which could either lead to a big day for the Panthers offense or make them predictable and allow the Bears to create turnovers.
Jordan Howard vs Shaq Thompson
Jordan Howard is in his sophomore year in the NFL but has already established himself as one of the best running backs in the league and as the engine that makes the Bears offense go. If Shaq Thompson can continuously get in Howard’s way and make tackles at the point of first contact, the Bears will have to rely on their receivers to make plays and keep the offense moving.
Three Things the Panthers Need To Do To Win:
Stop The Run
If the Panthers can stop the run then they will be in a great position to come out of Chicago with a win. By stopping the run, the Panthers would force the Bears to rely on their aerial attack led by rookie Mitchell Trubisky, which in turn provides the Panthers with more opportunities to create turnovers and force rookie mistakes.
Get After Mitchell Trubisky
Speaking of Trubisky, if the Panthers can force him to make mistakes and capitalize on those mistakes then Newton and company will get a chance to work on their red zone and short yardage packages that have been problematic this season.
Play Physical
Every week the Panthers need to play both smart and physical, but this week it is more important to play physical than it is to play smart due to the bruising nature of their opponent. If the Panthers can match or overpower the Bears strong linemen, then this game could get ugly quick.
Two Reasons The Panthers Could Lose:
The Bears rush for 200+ yards
The Bears have only won two games this year and both have come when they have rushed for over 200 yards. This, of course, stems from the fact that the Bears’ offense relies heavily on the success of their rushing attack, that they have a rookie quarterback under center, and their receiving corp lost top option Cameron Meredith and Kevin White in the first three weeks of the season. If the Bears can get their rushing attack going, the Panthers will be in dire straits.
Newton Throws 3 Interceptions
The Panthers have only lost two games this year and both have come when Newton has thrown three interceptions, therefore, it stands to reason that if he throws three against the Bears that the Panthers will lose. Silly superstition and statistics aside, any time a quarterback throws interceptions he puts an exorbitant amount of pressure on his defense to gain momentum back and creates an air of uncertainty on the offensive side of the ball.
One Bold Prediction: Curtis Samuel will have more yards from scrimmage than Christian McCaffrey
While I don’t have any statistical evidence to suggest that this will happen, the Panthers are in dire need of help stretching the field vertically and Samuel is their best option. So far in his rookie year, the Panthers have mainly used him on screens and short quick routes that give him the ball in space, but his 4.31 second 40-yard dash and ability to track the ball well would indicate that the best way to utilize him is sending him deep frequently. This week is the perfect opportunity for Samuel to step up and become that deep threat due to Benjamin’s injury.
