Chicago Bears vs. Carolina Panthers Week 5: Live updates from Soldier Field

CHICAGO – The Chicago Bears return to action Sunday with a matchup against the Carolina Panthers at Soldier Field.

Caleb Williams and the Bears will try to move to 3-2 with a victory. Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton will make his first start against the Bears since he played for them in 2021. Matt Eberflus and his defense will try to make life hard on Dalton.

Shaw Local Bears beat writer Sean Hammond will be reporting live from Soldier Field. Follow Hammond on X at @sean_hammond, on Instagram at @bears_reporter and on Threads at @bears_reporter. Shaw Local enterprise reporter Michal Dwojak also will be reporting from the lakefront. Follow Dwojak @mdwojak94 on X and also on Threads. Shaw Local Bears analyst Marc Silverman will provide his thoughts on X at @WaddleandSilvy.

Below is everything Bears fans need to know ahead of the game. Stay here all game long for live updates.

Bears win

Bryce Young entered the game for the final minutes, but the Bears kept the Panthers offense out of the end zone. The Bears wrapped up a win, 36-10, at Soldier Field.

Caleb Williams threw for 304 yards and two touchdowns. DJ Moore scored both passing touchdowns. Roschon Johnson scored twice and D’Andre Swift added a touchdown. The Bears defense created three turnovers in a win.

Matt Eberflus’ team moved to 3-2 on the season.

Roschon Johnson scores again

Bears running back Roschon Johnson barreled into the end zone and scored his second rushing touchdown of the day late in the fourth quarter. The score put the Bears ahead, 36-10.

There was a lot of pushing and shoving after the play and the refs threw multiple flags on the play. Bears guard Matt Pryor and Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn were both ejected from the game. After the fight, the Bears elected to go for a two-point conversion (already leading by 26), but didn’t get it.

Byard picks off Dalton; Bears add field goal

Bears safety Kevin Byard picked off Andy Dalton early in the third quarter. Defensive tackle Gervon Dexter pressured Dalton on the play and Dalton lofted the football high in the air for a receiver down field. It was Byard who came down with the football for a takeaway.

The Bears later appeared to have a touchdown when Caleb Williams scrambled his way into the end zone, but the refs called a clipping penalty on lineman Doug Kramer. Instead, the Bears faced a second-and-goal from the 16-yard line. Williams is still looking for his first career rushing touchdown.

The Bears wound up settling for a field goal. They lead, 30-7, with 6:25 to go in the third quarter.

DJ Moore scores again

Bears receiver DJ Moore scored his second touchdown of the afternoon on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Caleb Williams. The score came with just 24 seconds remaining in the first half. The Bears drove 62 yards on five plays to score before the break.

Moore has three catches for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Williams has thrown for 200 yards and two touchdowns on 11 of 15 passing in the first half.

The Bears missed the extra point. They lead, 27-20. Bears lineman Teven Jenkins appeared to suffer a lower leg injury during the possession. Backup Bill Murray entered the game at left guard.

Brisker forces fumble; Swift punches in touchdown

Bears safety Jaquan Brisker forced a fumble late in the second quarter. Brisker hit Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble hard and knocked the ball out with his helmet. Defensive tackle Gervon Dexter recovered the fumble for a Bears takeaway.

On the following possession, running back D’Andre Swift picked up 42 yards on a screen pass. Swift later punched in a 1-yard touchdown. The Bears lead, 21-7.

Roschon Johnson punches in touchdown

Bears defensive tackle Gervon Dexter and defensive end DeMarcus Walker sacked Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton on third-and-long to force a Panthers punt late in the first quarter. Each defender was given half a sack in the stat book. For Dexter, that marks 3.5 sacks already this season.

On the following possession for the Bears offense, running back Roschon Johnson punched in a 1-yard touchdown run to cap a 13-play, 80-yard drive. The Bears took the lead, 14-7, with 10:44 to go in the second quarter.

Running back D’Andre Swift broke free for an 18-yard gain at one point during the possession.

Caleb Williams, DJ Moore connect for a touchdown

On their second possession of the afternoon, the Bears went with a hurry up, no huddle attack and Caleb Williams connected with receiver DJ Moore for a 34-yard touchdown pass. Moore was wide open on the play with a clear path to the end zone.

The score pulled the Bears even, 7-7, with the Panthers midway through the first quarter. The offense drove 70 yards on just seven plays.

It was Moore’s second touchdown in as many weeks.

Hubbard puts Panthers ahead early

The Bears won the coin toss and elected to defer until the second half. The Panthers started with the football but went three-and-out on their first possession and were forced to punt.

Caleb Williams and the Bears couldn’t get much going on their first drive either and they were forced to punt. Williams took a sack on third down.

On Carolina’s next possession, the Panthers moved the sticks on fourth-and-1 in Bears territory. Andy Dalton handed off an end around to receiver Diontae Johnson, who scampered past the line to gain.

On the next play, Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard broke free for a 38-yard touchdown run. Hubbard busted through the first line of defense, and the Bears didn’t have anybody else back there to stop him. The Panthers took an early lead, 7-0.

Injury updates and inactive players

Bears left guard Teven Jenkins is active and expected to dress for the game. Jenkins has been dealing with a rib injury this week, but he did return to practice late in the week. Eberflus said Jenkins’ bruised ribs are more about Jenkins’ pain tolerance than anything.

The Bears announced five inactives on Sunday. The following players will not play in the game: receiver Velus Jones Jr., fullback Khari Blasingame, defensive tackle Zacch Pickens, cornerback Terell Smith and defensive end Dominique Robinson.

What to expect from the Panthers

A year and a half after the Panthers and Bears executed a blockbuster pre-draft trade for the No. 1 overall pick, the Panthers have benched second-year quarterback Bryce Young. Young made two starts this season before coach Dave Canales pulled the plug.

That March 2023 trade is looking more and more like a huge win for the Bears. Here’s a breakdown of everything the Bears acquired in the deal. The deal netted DJ Moore, two first-round picks and two second-round picks. One of those first-round picks turned into Williams.

With Young benched, the Panthers are starting Dalton. Here are the top five storylines to watch heading into the game. Diontae Johnson is the top wide receiver to watch for the Panthers. The offense has been better since making the switch from Young to Johnson.

Rookie focus

Rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze recently spoke with the Shaw Local News Network about his pregame preparation. Read the full feature story here.

Odunze and Williams like to get in extra work after every practice, to the point where Odunze’s coach recently told him to cool it. He needs to save his legs for Sundays, too.

Williams found success last week by taking the throws that the defense gave him. He certainly still wants to take shots down field, but the Bears may have found a strategy for success with their rookie quarterback.

What else did I miss this week?

Here’s what else was happening at Halas Hall this week.

[ Here’s what Matt Eberflus, Chicago Bears said Monday after beating the Los Angeles Rams ]

[ Caleb Williams just played his most efficient game in Bears win over Rams – here’s how he did it ]

[ Bear Down, Nerd Up: Swift bounces back, but what do advanced metrics say about his performance? ]