Panthers-Bears Thursday Night Football: No picks-6s, but no win. Panthers fall to 1-8
The Carolina Panthers fell to 1-8 on Thursday night at Soldier Field.
Playing just days after a disappointing home loss to the Colts, and playing without star linebacker Brian Burns, Carolina had a chance to tie or win a game late against the Chicago Bears. But the Panthers came up short, falling 16-13.
Carolina had a season low 213 yards on offense. In the past three games, Carolina has put up a total of 41 points.
“We’re not scoring points on offense,” coach Frank Reich said. “We’ve got to be better. I believe we will be better. That’s how I feel. I don’t think we have any unrealistic expectations. Scoring’s down. We’ve just got to play well enough to win football games. That’s really what I’m concerned about, winning. I’m not concerned about how many yards we have or what the stats are. I don’t to get caught up in stats.
“I want to get caught up in winning. We’ve got too many close games where if we play a little bit better on offense, we win....For us, right now, it’s just about making plays to win football games.”
Carolina had a late opportunity.
The Panthers got the ball, down 3, at their 9 with just over seven minutes to go. Carolina went on a long drive, converted a couple of fourth downs, and ultimately ended up with third-and-10 at the Bears 41.
On the next play, QB Bryce Young, who threw three interceptions Sunday, nearly threw another, and the Panthers tried a 59-yard field goal to tie the game.
Eddy Piñeiro’s kick was on line, but short.
Young, who didn’t throw a pick Thursday, lost seven games in high school and in college at Alabama.
He’s now lost eight in one season as a pro.
“We’re all frustrated,” Young said. “It’s a frustrating situation to be in. It’s not who we are and not who we want to be, but we are what we put on tape. We are what we put on the field. We have to be better..”
▪ Scroll down for game recaps, highlights and the photo gallery.
Stat stuffers
Bryce Young, Panthers: Young was 21-for-38 for 185 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. He did have a 45-yard pass in the first half. Often, his receivers were facing him on catches, limiting yards after the catch.
D’Onta Foreman, Bears: the former Panthers running back had 21 carries for 80 yards and a touchdown against his old team.
Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Panthers: Smith-Marsette had a 79-yard punt return in the first quarter to give Carolina an early lead.
Derrick Brown, Panthers: the defensive lineman was dominant, with nine solo tackles and two tackles for a loss. Frankie Luvu was really good again, too, with a team-high 11 total tackles, including six solos.
Notes
▪ Chicago, which owns the Panthers’ first round draft pick next year, gave Carolina a loss that could push that pick towards the top of the draft.
▪ Carolina is 0-6 at Chicago all time.
▪ As has become a common refrain, Carolina receivers had trouble creating separation from defenders. Young had one completion over 15 yards.
▪ Missing lots of key players, including star LB Brian Burns, the Panthers played pretty well against the Bears, limiting QB Tyson Bagent — starting in place of injured Justin Fields — to 20-of-33 passing for 163 yards. The Bears did rush 37 times for 133 yards.
▪ Carolina rushed 16 times for 43 yards against a Bears defense that came in allowing 3.3 yards per carry.
Fourth-quarter updates
11:05 p.m.: Eddy Piñeiro missed a 59-yard field goal with 95 seconds left on fourth and 10
11:01 p.m.: On fourth and 2, Bryce Young hit Miles Sanders with a quick pass and Sanders gave Carolina a first down at the Bears 40. Carolina converted its third straight fourth down.
10:58 p.m.: Bryce Young hit Hayden Hurst with a short pass to give the Panthers another fourth and short at the two-minute warning, down 16-13.
10:53 p.m.: Carolina failed on a third and 1 at the 19. Chuba Hubbard was stopped short. On fourth and inches at their own 20, with less than five minutes to play, the Panthers went for it and Bryce Young scrambled on a play action pass and got the first down.
BEARS 16, PANTHERS 13: Penalties, drops hurt, but Carolina gets FG
10:40 p.m.: Terrance Marshall dropped a pass on third and five that might’ve set up a fourth and 1. Instead Eddy Piñeiro made a 39-yard field goal and the Panthers trailed by 1.
10:37 p.m.: Faced with first and 30, the Panthers ended up with fourth and 6 at the Bears 36. Bryce Young scrambled to his right and hit tight end Tommy Tremble for a first down.
10:29 p.m.: Carolina caught back-to-back breaks when a pass interference on DJ Moore prevented the Bears from getting a first down. Then a shanked punt from Trenton Gill gave Carolina the ball at the Bears 40. Carolina had back-to-back penalties to eventually have 1st and down and 30 at the Panthers’ 40.
Third-quarter updates
BEARS 16, PANTHERS 10: Former Panther give Bears lead
10:12 p.m.: Former Panther D’Onta Foreman scored against his old team on a 9-play, 38-yard drive. Before the scoring run, the Bears’ special teams pinned the Panthers back at the 9 and Carolina went backwards 5 yards. Johnny Hekker punted from his end zone and Chicago eventually ran its offense out at the Panthers’ 38.
▪ The Panthers and Bears both went three and out to start the second half.
Halftime: Carolina 10, Chicago 9
Bryce Young was 7-of-14 for 57 yards in the first half. He had a 45-yard pass on one completion and 12 yards on the other six. The Panthers ran nine times for 40 yards.
The Bears outgained Carolina 295-97 and ran 42 plays compared to 24 for the Panthers.
Second-quarter updates
PANTHERS 10, BEARS 9: Bears get a field goal to end half
9:40 p.m.: Chicago got the ball at its own 9 with 72 seconds left in the first half. A 15-yard penalty on Carolina’s Deion Jones after a pass completion got the Bears’ drive started. Chicago continued down the field after QB Tyler Bagent converted a first down with his legs and later hit DJ Moore to the Panthers’ 42 with 46 seconds left. Another pass to Cole Kmet on third down got Chicago to the Panthers’ 26.
Bagent was nearly sacked on the next play and scrambled and slid down. Cairos Santos made a 39-yard attempt to end the half.
PANTHERS 10, BEARS 6: Bears get second field goal, get closer
9:20 p.m.: The Bears converted a fourth-and-4 to get near the red zone and keep the drive going, but a well-timed Panthers’ blitz on third down forced a 36-yard field goal from Cairo Santos.
PANTHERS 10, BEARS 3: Long pass leads to points
8:57 p.m.: Following the Bears’ field goal, Bryce Young hit third-year receiver Michael Strachan with a 45-yard pass, right on the money. That got the Panthers to the Chicago 27. The drive stalled in the red zone and Eddy Piñeiro made a 33-yard field goal with 13:36 left in the second quarter.
First-quarter updates
PANTHERS 7, BEARS 3: Bears drive stalls, but Chicago gets points
Chicago kicker Cairo Santos made a 54-yard field goal after a good drive stalled following the Panthers’ special team score. Santos originally made a 49-yarder but a motion penalty pushed the Bears back.
PANTHERS 7, BEARS 0: Punt return gives Carolina early lead
▪ With 5:46 left, after a Chicago punt, Carolina’s Ihmir Smith-Marsette, a former Bear, returned the punt 79 yards for a touchdown. Carolina had pinned the Bears deep after a Johnny Hekker punt and the Panthers got the fifth punt return for touchdown this season in the NFL.
▪ On the Panthers’ first possession, Bryce Young converted two third downs by scrambling. On the third one, near midfield, he had good protection, but no open receivers. Carolina punted with 9:15 left in the first quarter. Chicago got the ball at the 1 after Sam Franklin downed Johnny Hekker’s punt at the 1.
▪ The Bears, wearing alternate orange helmets and alternate orange jerseys, have the ball first. Former Panther DJ Moore caught a 16-yard pass to start the game from QB Tyson Bagent. The Bears ended up punting.
Pregame roster moves
The Panthers made a trio of roster moves ahead of Thursday’s Week 10 battle with the Bears in Chicago.
The team announced it activated pass rusher Marquis Haynes (back) from injured reserve just hours before the prime time matchup. The team had two open spots on it’s 53-man roster, so a corresponding move wasn’t necessary for Haynes.
The veteran pass rusher has spent the entire season on injured reserve after missing most of the summer with a back injury. He also missed the entire preseason.
Haynes is coming off a career season with the Panthers in 2022, as he made the most of former interim head coach Steve Wilks’ time in control, producing five sacks. The 29-year-old pass rusher will presumably lead a ragtag group at the position against Chicago with Brian Burns (concussion) ruled out and Justin Houston (hamstring) on injured reserve.
The Panthers also elevated pass rusher Eku Leota and wide receiver Michael Strachan from the practice squad. Leota has now been elevated for three straight games and will be subject to waivers if he receives another elevation. Strachan will make his Panthers debut against the Bears.
Leota, an Asheville native, has played 12 defensive and 20 special teams snaps in limited action over two games. The Auburn alum will join Haynes, third-round pick DJ Johnson and second-year linebacker Amare Barno within the pass-rushing rotation.
Strachan, listed as 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, played college ball at the University of Charleston in West Virginia. He was a seventh-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts in 2021 and played under Panthers head coach Frank Reich for parts of two seasons. He has five career catches for 85 yards coming into his Carolina debut.
Actives/inactives for Thursday’s game
Both teams will be missing key players tonight.
For the Panthers, linebacker Brian Burns (concussion), receivers Laviska Shenault Jr. and DJ Chark are inactive. Also inactive are defensive back CJ Henderson, guard Nash Jensen and tight end Stephen Sullivan.
Bears quarterback Justin Fields is out, along with DB Terell Smith, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, defensive lineman Dominique Robinson, receiver Velus Jones Jr., fullback Khari Blasingame and offensive lineman Nate Davis.
Odds, how to watch Panthers-Bears
Will the Carolina Panthers find their first road win of the season?
It might not be the most compelling question in Week 10 of the NFL season, but it’s what will be answered on the national stage that is Thursday Night Football.
Among the other stakes in this one: Can rookie quarterback Bryce Young get back on track after a pro-career-worst outing against the Colts? And would a Panthers win soften the blow of trading away their first-round draft pick in 2024 at all?
Per Fanduel Sportsbook, the Panthers are 3.5-point underdogs with the over/under at 39.5.
Fans across the country can stream the 8:15 p.m. game on Amazon Prime, with Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit in the booth, and fans in Charlotte can watch it simulcast on WSOC-Channel 9, The Charlotte Observer’s news partner. The game also can be heard on Westwood One Sports national radio with Ian Eagle and Joe Thomas, as well as your usual local crew — Anish Shroff, Luke Kuechly, Jim Szoke and Sharon Thorsland — on WRFX 99.7 FM.
Below is what Observer staffers think will happen at Soldier Field, with rationales.
Predictions for Panthers-Bears game
Keeping accountable, columnist Scott Fowler leads the group with a 7-1 record. Alex Zietlow sits at 5-3, with Mike Kaye and Langston Wertz Jr. both at 4-4.
Scott Fowler: Panthers 20, Bears 17. Amazon Prime has to be kicking itself that this — a matchup between two teams that are among the five worst squads in the NFL — is the matchup it has to offer. With that said, there’s a close game to be had here, as both teams do things similarly poorly. I have picked against the Panthers every single week this season. It just feels like it’s time for me to change things up, and for Bryce Young to rebound from that double pick-6 game on Sunday. Not much logic here; just a feeling.
Mike Kaye: Bears 17, Panthers 16. Last week offered a winnable matchup, and the Panthers faltered. This week’s game is also winnable, but the Panthers’ defensive depth chart is comparable to the Walking Dead on a quick turnaround. In a game that could be important for March’s Panthers-Bears trade compensation for the No. 1 pick, Carolina needs to show up. But after last week’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts, it’s hard to feel like they will.
Langston Wertz Jr.: Bears 20, Panthers 13: I’m sure Al Michaels isn’t excited about watching two teams with a combined three wins, but we’ve got what we’ve got. This is a game the Panthers could win, but there are a few things that hurt their chances. 1. Coming off a game with two touchdowns thrown to the wrong team, Bryce Young is likely to be conservative on an offense that rarely throws down the field to start with. 2. There’s a rash of injuries on defense, including to star Brian Burns. The guess here? Carolina keeps it close but falls down the stretch.
Alex Zietlow: Panthers 10, Bears 7. These Amazon Prime Thursday Night Football games simply don’t miss. In this one, a seven-loss team that is struggling to define its offensive identity is facing off against another that is in injured disrepair. (It’s anyone’s guess who is who.) The Panthers certainly qualify as both: Carolina’s All-Pro pass rusher Brian Burns is out with a concussion, and the team was outscored 14-13 by the Colts’ defense a week ago. All this said — and I know what I just said was quite bleak — I still think the Panthers win this one. That’s in part because the Panthers are due for a road win, and it’s also in part because this league occasionally makes no sense at all.
PHOTOS: Bears at Panthers
This story was originally published November 8, 2023 at 7:00 AM.
