Bears Blitz

Published by Jimmy Boyd on October 7, 2010
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

Chicago’s reign as the last unbeaten team in the NFC didn’t last long. Now, the Bears will try to get back on track against one of the NFL’s four winless teams. NFL odds makers seem to like their chances, listing the Bears as a 1.5-point favorite over the Panthers with the total set at 36.

After recording impressive upset wins over the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers, the Bears fell apart Sunday night against the New York Giants. They gave up an NFL-record nine sacks in the first half, sending a battered Jay Cutler to the locker room with a concussion.

The nine sacks may not have been the worst of it, as Chicago only gained 110 total yards and managed just six first-downs. The Bears were also an atrocious 0-for-13 on third-down.

The bad news is that Jay Cutler is listed as being out for this week’s game, making Todd Collins the starter. Also, Collins may be able to breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Carolina’s best pass rusher, Julius Peppers, is now his teammate. Without Peppers, Carolina has only recorded four sacks—tied for second-worst in the NFL.

With this in mind, a date with the Panthers may be just what a banged-up Chicago offensive line needs. The Bears really missed left tackle Chris Williams last week, and he may not be back Sunday.

While the Chicago offense struggled, the defense has plenty to be proud of. The Bears have forced 11 turnovers, and they could be in for another big day of takeaways against a Carolina team that has committed 13 turnovers.

It is certainly worth noting that the Panthers are only 1-5 against the spread in their last six home games as an underdog of three points or less. 

While Carolina fell to 0-4 with Sunday’s loss to the New Orleans Saints, they have to be encouraged by nearly upsetting the defending Super Bowl champs. Carolina held a 14-13 lead going into the fourth quarter, but wasn’t able to get the job done.

With top wideout Steve Smith listed as doubtful with a sprained ankle this week, the Panthers may have to rely on their running game, which was supposed to be the strength of their offense.

Last season, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart each rushed for over 1,100 yards while helping Carolina boast the league’s third-best rushing attack. This season, the Panthers rank just 17th in rushing offense, averaging only 103.3 yards per game on the ground—nearly 53 less yards per game than last season.

While Chicago was downright stingy against the run the first three weeks of the season, it was gashed for 189 yards by the Giants last week. Perhaps Carolina will be able to run its way to its first win of the season Sunday.

It is worth noting that the Panthers have won both career meetings at home against the Bears. 

World champion handicapper Jimmy Boyd went a perfect 6-0 in Week 4 with his NFL picks. Make sure you’re playing who Jimmy is playing for another monster week!

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