Chicago Bears: 5 X-Factors vs. the Carolina Panthers
Published by Brett Lyons on September 29, 2011
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
There’s no such thing as a must-win game in Week 4 of the NFL season.
For the Chicago Bears, however, this Sunday’s contest against the Carolina Panthers is pretty close.
As the Green Bay Packers (3-0) and Detroit Lions (3-0) take early leads in the NFC North divisional race, the Bears (1-2) could really use an in-conference victory to help them contend with both squads.
The Panthers bring a unique club to Soldier Field this Sunday. Rookie quarterback Cam Newton, freshly-paid running back DeAngelo Williams and a newly-revamped Steve Smith will cause plenty of matchup problems for Bears defenders. Tight end Greg Olsen also will make his Panthers debut at Soldier Field, the field Olsen called home from 2007-2010.
What will this weekend’s contest mean for a pair of 1-2 teams? One will walk away .500, while the other will fall to a miserable 1-3 mark and fall back even farther from the playoffs.
Here are the five X-factors for this Sunday’s showdown.
