Chicago Bears vs. Carolina Panthers: 5 storylines to watch in Week 10

LAKE FOREST – The Bears return to prime time Thursday with a matchup against the Carolina Panthers at Soldier Field.

Quarterback Justin Fields is not expected to play in Thursday’s game. The Bears’ medical staff has not cleared him to return from a right thumb injury. Backup quarterback Tyson Bagent will make his fourth consecutive start.

Matt Eberflus and his squad look to rebound from back-to-back losses against the Chargers and Saints. The Panthers, meanwhile, lost to Indianapolis on Sunday after picking up their first win of the season a week earlier against Houston. The Bears are 7-4 all time against the Panthers. They’ve won five of the last six matchups, dating to 2010.

The Bears (2-7) and Panthers (1-7) kick off at 7:15 p.m. Thursday. The game will be broadcast on Amazon Prime and locally on Fox 32. Here are five storylines to watch during Thursday’s game.

1. Justin Fields gets another week of rest

The Bears entered the week hopeful that Fields could play Thursday.

“We left it open,” Eberflus said. “There was optimism there, but we’ll see where it goes. But like I said, Bagent has done a nice job.”

The issue with Fields’ thumb is primarily that his grip strength must return to normal. When he first returned to practice, he wore a glove on his throwing hand because he said it helped him grip the football. During practice Wednesday, he did not wear a glove.

But there apparently wasn’t enough progress for the medical staff to feel comfortable playing Fields. He could work out on the field before the game, but he’s not expected to play. Bagent will make his fourth start, and veteran Nathan Peterman will be the backup.

Following Thursday’s game, the Bears have nine days off ahead of a Nov. 19 matchup with the Detroit Lions.

“He’s just going to keep ramping up and getting his throws in and getting everything in, as all the guys are going to do, getting ready for our next game,” Eberflus said. “They all got to put their workloads in.”

2. The No. 1 overall pick

It’s hard to see these two teams and not talk about the draft – both last spring’s and next year’s drafts. The Bears traded the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft to the Panthers in exchange for two first-round picks, two second-round picks and receiver DJ Moore. In doing so, Bears general manager Ryan Poles passed on the opportunity to draft a quarterback with the top pick. The Panthers took QB Bryce Young at No. 1 overall.

Instead, Poles drafted tackle Darnell Wright in the top 10, used the second-round pick to trade up and select cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, and still holds the Panthers’ 2024 first-round pick and 2025 second-round pick.

The Bears felt that moving forward with Fields in his third year would be better than restarting with a rookie. Asked about Young this week, offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said he was “very impressed” when he scouted the former Alabama quarterback.

“We were at his pro day, too, and very impressive,” Getsy said. “Accuracy was easy. That’s the thing that stood out for the kid is no matter [if] it was down the field, under 20 yards or under 10 yards, the ability to get the ball out quick. He showed a lot of the cool things you’re looking for in a guy to be a natural passer.”

Accuracy was easy. That’s the thing that stood out for the kid is no matter [if] it was down the field, under 20 yards or under 10 yards, the ability to get the ball out quick.”

—  Luke Getsy, Bears offensive coordinator on Bryce Young

Young finds himself in a tough spot with a team that hasn’t given him much help. He’s 1-6 as the starter, while throwing for 1,375 yards with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions.

The Panthers and Bears are on pace to earn the No. 2 and No. 3 draft picks, respectively – which means the Bears are on pace to have two of the top-three picks thanks to that blockbuster trade. Somebody, however, will move down the projected board with a win Thursday.

3. Offensive outburst coming?

Nobody is giving up more points than the Carolina Panthers. At 28.3 points per game, the Panthers’ defense is tied with the Denver Broncos for the worst in the league in that category. More specifically, Carolina ranks 28th against the run (allowing 131.8 rushing yards per game), which sets up well for a Bears team that runs the ball at a high level.

This could be an opportunity for running backs D’Onta Foreman and Khalil Herbert to have huge games. Opponents are averaging 4.4 yards per carry against Carolina. This defense is allowing touchdowns on 75% of red zone trips, which ranks 31st.

Herbert will have to be activated off injured reserve if he’s going to play Thursday. The team opened his 21-day practice window this week, but it will have to make room on the 53-man roster if he’s going to be activated.

Additionally, Panthers pass rusher Brian Burns is dealing with a concussion and has been ruled out. Burns is arguably Carolina’s best defender. He has five sacks and 10 quarterback hits this season.

“It changes a lot,” Moore said. “He’s one of them guys that can change a game.”

4. Can the Bears find a pass rush?

Last week was a slow start for new Bears defensive end Montez Sweat. The Bears last week traded for Sweat on Tuesday, signed him to a monster contract extension Saturday and sent him out on the field Sunday against the Saints. He recorded two tackles and a pass breakup but didn’t sack the quarterback.

The Panthers are allowing sacks on 9.3% of pass attempts. That’s one of the worst sack rates among NFL offenses (26th overall). Young has been sacked 26 times in seven games. The Bears should have an opportunity to sack the quarterback Thursday.

The Bears have a league-worst 10 sacks, five sacks fewer than the 31st-ranked team. For comparison, the league-leading Baltimore Ravens have 35 sacks. The Bears are sacking the opposing QB on only 3% of pass attempts, which also ranks dead last in the league.

If Sweat can record his first sack as a member of the Bears on Thursday night, he’s certain to draw a huge ovation from the home crowd. Not since Robert Quinn set the Bears’ single-season sack record in 2021 have Bears fans had anything to cheer about thanks to their defensive line.

5. Another big Thursday for DJ Moore?

The last time the Bears played on “Thursday Night Football,” Moore woke up with a nervous feeling in his belly – then went off for 230 yards and three touchdowns against the Commanders. That win snapped the Bears’ franchise-record 14-game losing streak.

Once again, the Bears are in prime time on a Thursday. And this time it’s against Moore’s former team. The Panthers drafted Moore with a first-round pick in 2018, and he played five seasons in Carolina. Over those five seasons, he averaged more than 1,000 receiving yards per season.

“The extra juice comes from Thursday night, but not [playing] them,” Moore said. “I mean, it’s going to be good to go against them. I’ve been looking forward to it. We still got a thing to accomplish and get this win.”

Moore said he has no hard feeling that the Panthers traded him. He’s happy where he is in Chicago, and he’s confident the Bears will turn things around.

“Everybody is still on the up,” Moore said. “Nobody is thinking negative. Everybody is thinking positive.”