It hasn’t always been pretty for the Bears this year, and it wasn’t today, either. But Chicago is 5-1.
Today the Bears beat the Panthers 23-16 despite Nick Foles managing just 198 yards on 39 pass attempts, and the running game averaging just 2.5 yards per carry. But the Bears’ defense shut down Teddy Bridgewater and Mike Davis, and that was enough.
Chicago took an early lead and never looked back, and although the Panthers made a game of it late in the fourth quarter, they weren’t able to do enough. The Panthers’ last, best chance ended when Teddy Bridgewater attempted a late fourth-down deep ball to D.J. Moore, who just missed a chance to make a leaping catch. The Panthers did get the ball again, but Bridgewater threw an interception to end it.
The Bears still look like a long shot to beat out the Panthers in the NFC North, but there’s no doubt that Chicago is a favorite for a wild card berth. The Panthers are better than most people expected them to be, but they still have some big issues on offense, and they’re probably not a contender in Matt Rhule’s first season.