There are four main reasons why the Bears beat the Panthers in Week 5 and it has the team looking legit
The Chicago Bears just put together their most complete game of the 2024 season against the Carolina Panthers and they honestly look like a legit team.With the win, the Bears have now extended their home win streak to eight, the longest active streak in the NFL, and sit at 3-2 on the season.Sunday's win in […]
The Chicago Bears just put together their most complete game of the 2024 season against the Carolina Panthers and they honestly look like a legit team.
With the win, the Bears have now extended their home win streak to eight, the longest active streak in the NFL, and sit at 3-2 on the season.
Sunday's win in Week 5 was a full team effort and here's some of the reasons why the Bears came out on top.
1. The Deep Ball Presented Itself
For the first time all season, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was able to let his arm loose and connect on some big plays.
The first came on the second drive after Williams hit wide receiver DJ Moore for a wide open crossing route that Moore turned into a score. Soon after, Williams and Moore connected for another big touchdown before halftime.
But, it wasn't just Moore. Cole Kmet and Rome Odunze also had some big plays down the field in the passing game that helped the offense stay in rhythm.
Earlier this week, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron noted that the big plays will eventually open themselves up to Williams and the offense if they can do everything else right first. Turns out he was right and the offense was able to capitalize on those.
2. The Offensive Line Played Great
The lack of success from the Bears' offensive line was a major story during the first three games of the season, but the unit has started to look much more improved.
Against the Panthers, Williams was sacked just one time and was hit just twice in the win. The entire operation looked a lot better, especially at diagnosing and picking up the blitz packages used by the Panthers.
But it wasn't just in the passing game. The offensive line dominated in the run game as well. The Bears scored three rushing touchdowns inside the five-yard line while unit rushed for 128 yards.
The offensive line's most impressive play came on a D'Andre Swift screen pass where left guard Teven Jenkins and center Coleman Shelton were able to get out in front and clear the way for a massive gain. The unit also didn't miss a beat after Jenkins left the game due to an ankle injury and Bill Murray came in.
3. Winning The Turnover Battle
This goes as a given for any team. If you can consistently win the turnover battle, you're going to have a legit team in the NFL.
That's something the Bears have been progressively improving in. The defense has continued to do their part creating turnovers while the coaching staff continues to stress limiting the turnovers on offense.
On Sunday, the Bears offense had zero turnovers while the defense came away with two fumble recoveries and an interception. Matt Eberflus' unit is an extremely aggressive group and if the offense plays clean football, they'll continue to win the turnover battle every week.
4. Utilizing Players To Their Strengths
Another one that should come as a given, but it took the Bears a few weeks to finally figure it out. The Bears are finally starting to use everyone to their strengths on both sides of the ball and it's helping the team avoid some of the mistakes they made earlier in the season.
Look at how the Bears have been using offensive lineman Doug Kramer Jr. in goal-line packages for example. Or using Roschon Johnson in short-yardage situations. I've also been impressed with how Waldron is drawing up plays for Swift, both on the ground and as a receiver.
Defensively, seeing Andrew Billings and Gervon Dexter Sr. wreck the game from the interior of the defensive line has been incredible. It seems like everyone is being used to their strengths and it's paying off in a big way.
Bears WR DJ Moore sticks it to his former team after scoring two big touchdowns in Week 5
This had to feel good for Moore.
