Black and Blue Review
The Panthers came into Week 5 on a two-game losing skid that mostly centered around the poor performance of what had been one of the most dominant defenses in the NFL.
Carolina opened the year by beating the Bucs and Lions by a combined score of 44-21, but in the following two weeks, they were outscored 75-29. In those losses, the Panthers gave up 908 yards, nearly 300 more than they allowed in Weeks 1 and 2. Even worse, the Steelers and Ravens gashed the previously vaunted run defense for 391 yards after it had given up just 172 yards on the ground to the Bucs and Lions.
Sunday against the Bears, it appeared the wheels were coming off the defense again. After Philly Brown’s wild punt return, Chicago reeled off 21 points in less than 10 minutes.
But in the second half, the Panthers made the Bears one-dimensional, which in turn helped forced timely turnovers and allowed the defensive line time to get to quarterback Jay Cutler.
The chart below shows the difference between what Chicago was able to do in the first half, and what it wasn’t able to do in the second.
BEARS OFFENSE VS. PANTHERS
| 1st Half | 2nd Half | |
|---|---|---|
| Rush Yards | 59 | 26 |
| Pass Yards | 176 | 86 |
| Total Yards | 235 | 112 |
| 3rd Down Conversions | 4-of-7 | 1-of-6 |
| Time of Possession | 17:35 | 15:24 |
| Trips Inside Red Zone | 3 | 0 |
| Turnover Margin | +2 | -3 |
| Points Scored | 21 | 3 |
MORE NUGGETS
- Chicago’s first-half drives: punt, interception, touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, missed field goal. Average plays per drive: 5.1. Average yards per drive: 39.
- Chicago’s second-half drives: punt, field goal, punt, punt, interception, fumble, fumble. Average plays per drive: 4.6. Average yards per drive: 16.
- The Bears finished just one drive in Carolina territory in the second half: An eight-play, 53-yard drive that ended with a Robbie Gould 45-yard field goal.
- The Bears ran 21 plays in Panthers’ territory in the first half. In the second half, the Bears were in Panthers’ territory for six plays during the third quarter, and for none in the fourth.
- The Bears averaged 4.2 yards per carry on 14 rushes in the first half. In the second half, they averaged 3.2 yards per carry on just eight carries.
- The Bears picked up 10 first downs in the first half, five of which came on the ground. The Panthers held the Bears to just seven first downs in the second half, none of which came via Chicago’s ground game.