Bears-Panthers Preview
J J Pesavento |Sep 09,2008
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 Bears-Panthers Preview
BEARS OFFENSE vs. PANTHERS DEFENSE
Don't expect anything new from the Bears. They found something they were lacking a year ago in the win over the Colts; a running game. With rookie Matt Forte toting the rock, the Bears were able to not only move the chains, but they were also able to control the tempo of the game and keep the Colts offense on the sidelines. So don't expect anything to change against the Panthers. A potent ground game also does something vital for the Bears. It takes pressure off the passing attack. Even though Kyle Orton is not Rex Grossman, the Bears do not want to have to depend on the air attack to pull out a win. Orton isn't as turnover prone as Grossman, but the Bears simply do not have the weapons to depend on the passing game.
While the Panthers defense may not be the dominant force it was years ago, it did something against the Chargers that many teams attempt to do, but usually fail miserably at accomplishing. The Panthers contained LaDainian Tomlinson and kept him out of the end zone. Stopping the run will start in the middle with a pair of tackles without huge names in Damione Lewis and Maake Kemoeatu. Unlike the Colts who possess smaller, quicker players, the Panthers have a big run stuffer in Kemoeatu, who is listed at 345 pounds. Carolina also has Julius Peppers and Tyler Brayton at the ends, two quick players to shut down the outside. Carolina also has some talent at linebacker with ith Jon Beason at middle linebacker, and Na'Il Diggs and Thomas Davis on the outside. Add strong safety Chris Harris who led the team in tackles in Week One, and the going won't be easy for Forte.
When the Bears pass, they will obviously be facing a pair of the faster defensive ends around in Peppers and Brayton. So protecting Orton will be key. But the Panthers also have a good secondary with Chris Gamble and Ken Lucas at the corners. Gamble returned a fumble for a score against the Chargers. Opposite Harris will be rookie Charles Godfrey, a converted corner who hits like a safety. Granted, Devin Hester will always be a factor when he steps on the field, but beyond Hester, there isn't anyone who would could be viewed as a gamebreaker. The combination of Marty Booker, Brandon Lloyd and Rashied Davis will not dominate a game, but more contribute in small doses. Against the Colts, tight ends Desmond Clark and Greg Olsen were the leading receivers for the Bears. Look for the Panthers to make it more difficult for the pair to get into open space this week.
PANTHERS OFFENSE vs. BEARS OFFENSE
There was no real 'Wow' factor on offense for Carolina in their win over the Chargers. Running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart shared reps. Williams had 86 yards rushing and Stewart chipped in 53. Look for the same thing this week against the Bears. Both backs will get their chance to dent a tough Chicago defense that shut down Joe Addai in Week One. The Bears did this mainly by being very aggressive. With Tommie Harris leading the way in the middle and getting conrtibutions from Israel Idonije, Dusty Dvoracek and rookie Marcus Harrison, the Bears will be tough to run on inside. Especially when there is some guy named Urlacher waiting for ball carriers if they make it past the line of scrimmage. Speaking of which, don't be surprised to see Urlacher and Lance Briggs crowding the line of scrimmage forcing the issue. If the going gets slow, the Panthers will look to bounce outside behind Jordan Gross or Jeff Otah. The smart move here will be to go after Hunter Hillenmeye, the most undersized of the Chicago linebackers. But to get to the corner, the Panthers will have to neutralize defensive ends Adawale Ogunleye and Alex Brown.
When the Panthers look to throw, they will have Jake Delhomme back in the pocket again after losing him for most of the 2007 season. Unfortunately, Delhomme will be without the one player on the roster that has given the Bears nightmares in the past; wide receiver Steve Smith. Smith is serving a two-game suspension handed down by head coach John Fox for his altercation with Ken Lucas in camp. So the Bears will see a familiar face in Muhsin Muhammad, a player they let go earlier this year. The veteran hauled in six passes for 56 yards on the Chargers last week. D.J. Hackett will be opposite Muhammad and Dwayne Jarrett will also be in the mix. At 6-4, 220, Jarrett will give the Panthers the biggest advantage in terms of size over the Chicago defensive backs. And we can't overlook the hero from Week One, tight end Dante Rosario, who caught the winning TD pass from Delhomme. The Panthers cannot allow the Bears to fly right up the middle at Delhomme the way the Colts let them go after Peyton Manning. That means they may have to keep people in and protect Delhomme against the blitzes from Urlacher and Briggs. But Gross and Otah will also have to shut down Brown and Ogunleye on the outside. The Bears have decent corners in Nathan Vasher and Charles Tillman, but we're still not sold on Mike Brown being the same player he was before the string of injuries hit him or on Brandon McGowan.
SPECIAL TEAMS
With Devin Hester and Robbie Gould, one would think the Bears obviously have the advantage here. But the Panthers are anything but mediocre. Punter Jason Baker averaged 48 yards per boot on the Bolts and kicker John Kasay was 4-of-4 on field goal attempts. Still, no one matches up in the return game with the Bears if Hester is on the field.
SUMMARY
The Bears will run and run and run. Then they will have Orton throw a low risk pass. That will be their game plan unless the Panthers force them out of it, something the Colts couldn't do last weekend. The Bears defense has to play exactly the way it did a week ago. Contain the running game and not let Jake Delhomme pull off any heroics. The Panthers have to shut down Matt Forte and make Kyle Orton beat them. For the Panthers offense, they have to stay out of the situations that the Bears love to put opposing offenses in. They love to play aggressive, bring pressure, create havoc and confusion and put opponents in obvious passing situations. The Carolina offense cannot let the Chicago defense dictate what it can do. With or without Steve Smith, the Panthers have to go after the Bears. If they don't, they play right into the hands of the Bears.
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