Bears vs. Panthers: 4 key matchups to watch in Week 5

The Chicago Bears (2-2) are coming off a much needed Week 4 victory — for the players, coaches and fans. The Bears will stay in Soldier Field to face off against the Carolina Panthers (1-3) this Sunday at 12 p.m. CT.

These two franchises have a lot of recent history between each other. The Bears gave the Panthers the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft to get Bryce Young — who is now benched, and the Panthers gave the Bears DJ Moore and a slew of picks, which included No. 1 pick for Caleb Williams.

The last time the two played was last November, and the Bears won 16-13 with backup quarterback Tyson Bagent. Both teams have different quarterbacks at the helm this time around, and the Panthers have a new head coach in Dave Canales.

Both the Bears and Panthers look better now than they did at the start of the season, so here are the four key matchups for Week 5.

1. Bears defense vs. Panthers run game

While there’s a lot to say about the shift in momentum that Andy Dalton has given this Panthers offense, their rushing attack cannot be overlooked. Chuba Hubbard started the season slow but has run for 100+ yards in each of the Panthers’ last two games and is averaging 5.4 yards per carry.

According to Pro Football Focus, the Bears have the No. 22 ranked run defense in the NFL, but they’ve also shown significant improvement in open field tackling. The Panthers offensive line hasn’t been as successful in run-blocking as they have in pass protection, but if Chicago wants to keep riding the high horse they mounded themselves on last week, they need to finally stop an opponent on the ground.

2. Bears secondary vs. Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette

Dalton has thrown for 539 yards, five touchdowns and just one pick in two starts now. His two leading targets in those two games have been Diontae Johnson and rookie Xavier Legette. The two have caught for 313 of his 500+ passing yards and three of his five touchdowns.

The Bears success in the secondary has carried over from last season. According to PFF, the Bears have the eighth best pass coverage in the NFL. Chicago also third in the NFL in takeaways with eight  — five of which are interceptions. The Panthers have found a groove in the air since benching Young, and stopping Dalton from connecting with his top targets will be a key in beating the Panthers.

3. Caleb Williams vs. Panthers secondary

Williams didn’t have an unbelievable game last week. But he did what was needed to win, along with completing 74% of his passes and throwing a touchdown. Williams still has some flukes to tweak out. For example, his deep ball is yet to be honed in. According to PFF, the Panthers are 26th in the NFL in pass coverage. This could be a golden opportunity for Williams to connect with his receivers deep.

The Panthers give up an average of 209.3 passing yards per game. Through four games, Williams averages 196.6. Facing a weaker secondary this week could be a huge advantage for Williams, and he should be able to build off of his consistency and improvements last week. The Bears just need to make sure their playmakers are on the field for Williams, the Panthers will have a hard time stopping Moore, Rome Odunze and Keenan Allen.

4. Bears offensive line vs. Panthers pass rush

The Bears offensive line has been the elephant in the room for the first four weeks of the season. According to PFF, they are ranked 28th in the NFL in pass protection grade. Williams has been sacked 16 times through four games, tied for second most in the league. Even in last week’s win, he was sacked three times.

The offensive line has shifted a lot, and now Teven Jenkins is questionable — granted he hasn’t played the best. There could be some switches in personnel and Coleman Shelton could lose the starting center job (when Ryan Bates returns from injured reserve). We’ve already seen personnel changes with Nate Davis being benched.

According to PFF, the Panthers have the second-to-worst pass rush grade in the NFL. Through four games, they’ve tallied just five sacks. There are so many questions and holes on the Bears’ offensive line, and those won’t be solved right away, but they have the advantage of facing one of the NFL’s weakest pass rushes this week.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears vs. Panthers: 4 key matchups to watch in Week 5