Carolina hits the road in Week Five, traveling to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. This will be the second-consecutive season the Panthers have traveled to Chicago, marking the first consecutive trips to the Windy City since the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
This will mark the 12th regular season matchup all time between the two teams with the Bears leading the series 8-3, including a 6-0 record in Chicago. The two teams last squared off a season ago, where the Bears were victorious at home, 16-13.
The Panthers lone win in Chicago came during the divisional round of the 2005 playoffs (29-21). WR Steve Smith set franchise playoff records, hauling in 12 receptions for 218 yards and two touchdowns.
The Panthers enter Week Five with a 1-3 record (1-1 on the road) after falling to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week Four, 34-24.
Chicago comes into the matchup with a 2-2 record (2-0 at home) after defeating the Los Angeles Rams in Week Four, 24-18.
The Matchup
About Carolina
- With the offensive line paving the way, RB Chuba Hubbard finished Week Four’s contest with 104 rushing yards on 18 carries (5.8 avg) and added four catches for 17 yards. He became the first Panthers running back to go over the century mark rushing in consecutive games since D’Onta Foreman in Weeks Seven and Eight of the 2022 season.
- In Week Four Andy Dalton completed 25-of-40 passes against the Bengals for 220 yards and two touchdowns. On the season, he has completed 51-of-78 passes for 539 yards with five touchdowns and one interception, good for a 101.4 passer rating.
- WR Diontae Johnson caught his second touchdown of the season against Cincinnatti. This was also his second touchdown in as many games, marking the seventh time in his career that he had touchdowns in back-to-back games. Johnson finished the day with seven catches for 83 yards with one touchdown, his second-straight week leading all Panthers receivers.
- Against the Bengals in Week Four, fourth-year CB Jaycee Horn notched a career-high eight tackles (seven solo) with one pass defensed and one tackle for loss. In Week Two against the Chargers, Hornpicked off Justin Herbert in the first quarter. This marked Horn’s fourth interception of his career and Carolina’s first interception of the season.
- The Panthers defense allowed just eight rushing yards in the first quarter, their fewest allowed this season and their fewest since they allowed no rushing yards to the Dolphins in Week 6 of 2023. This marks the Panthers third-consecutive week allowing a season-low in rushing yards in the first quarter. They also allowed a season-low 49 total yards in the first quarter.
About Chicago
- The Bears enter Week 5 having won each of their last seven home games, which is the longest stretch by the club since 2005-06 (10 games) and is the longest active streak in the NFL.
- Dating back to last season, the Bears have held opponents to 21 points or less in 10-straight games, registering the longest active streak in the NFL.
- In Week Four . RB D’Andre Swift totaled 165 yards from scrimmage, including a game-high and season-best 93 yards on the ground, along with a career-high and teamleading 96 receiving yards. Swift also recorded his first rushing touchdown as a member of the Bears, a 36-yard score, as he became the first Bears player to record at least 70 rushing yards and 70 receiving yards in a single game since 2015 (Jeremy Langford, Week 10).
- Against the Rams, Bears DB Jaquan Brisker led the defense with a game-high 12 tackles (eight solo), along with two tackles for loss, including one sack, and a game-sealing interception in the fourth quarter.
- QB Caleb Williams became the first No. 1 overall pick to win each of his first two home games in the Common Draft Era, as his 73.9 pct. completion rate was the third-highest by a Bears rookie in a single game since at least the 1970 Merger (min. 20 att.).
Connections
Panthers CB Chau Smith-Wade and CA Ilir Emini both are from Chicago and LB Jon Rhattigan grew up in Naperville, Ill. SA Jim Caldwell was an offensive assistant at Northwestern in 1981. He also coached wide receivers at Southern Illinois from 1978-80. OLs Joe Gilbert (2009-11) and Emini (2019-20) both spent time coaching at the University of Illinois.
Bears DB Josh Blackwell attended Duke (2017-21), OL Nate Davis went to Charlotte (2014-18), and DT Zacch Pickens (2019-22), PGC Thomas Brown (2019) and PGC/CBs Jon Hoke (2015) all spent time at the University of South Carolina. OA Jennifer King played for the Carolina Pheonix of the Women’s Football Alliance from 2006-17. aDL Bryan Bing spent time at Methodist University (N.C.) (2011-15) and Wofford College (2021-22).
Panthers vs Bears
All-Time Series (Regular Season): 11 matchups | Chicago leads 3-8
Last Regular Season Game: 11/9/23 | Carolina 13 at Chicago 16
Series Record in Chicago: Chicago leads 6-0
How to Watch
Kickoff: 1:00 p.m. ET FOX: Play by Play – Kenny Albert; Analyst – Johnathan Vilma; Sideline – Megan Oliv
Radio: WRFX 99.7FM in Charlotte market – Jim Szoke (Play by Play), Kurt Coleman (Color), Kevin Donnalley (Color), Sharon Thorsland (Sideline)
Per Release