The Chicago Bears will travel to Carolina for their season opener against the Panthers on Saturday. Most people you ask feel this game will probably be closer either way. Both teams were in the playoffs last season. The Bears appear to have the slight quarterback advantage and more offensive firepower. Carolina is well-coached offensively and will have home field advantage on what should be a hot day. In these situations, it’s interesting to hear what the experts think. Former head coach Jon Gruden certainly has an opinion.
He has studied both teams intensively in recent weeks and last season. One thing became clear to him right away. The Panthers defense might not be ready for the Bears’ rushing attack. He feels the powerful tandem of Jonah Jackson and Darnell Wright, along with head coach Ben Johnson’s diverse scheme, will give Carolina’s front seven fits. Especially their linebackers. It isn’t just the linemen and running backs they need to worry about. Few are better than Johnson at using wide receivers to create openings.
Jon Gruden is right to point this out.
It doesn’t guarantee a Bears victory, mind you. Nothing does. However, it’s worth noting the factors involved. Carolina was 20th against the run last season. Even that number is heavily skewed. They allowed at least 100 yards on the ground in 10 of their final 11 games last season. This is an ongoing issue for Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. His run defense has been bad every year in Carolina, and it’s been especially bad against well-coached running games. Buffalo had 245 yards last season. Jacksonville had 200. Los Angeles and San Francisco both cracked 140.
Johnson wasn’t impressed by Evero when they last met in 2023, either. His Detroit Lions offense piled up 159 yards on the ground. It probably would’ve been worse if Detroit hadn’t built such a formidable 35-10 lead by the 4th quarter. Granted, Carolina is a better team than the one from three years ago. Yet the points remain valid. The Bears railroaded some pretty good run-defending opponents last season, like San Francisco, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore. The Panthers better be prepared. Jon Gruden isn’t sure how, though.
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The Bears are going to play their game.
As much as they’d love to come out slinging it with Caleb Williams, that isn’t their game. This team’s success comes through the ground attack. D’Andre Swift just inked a fresh contract extension. He had an outstanding training camp. He had a great game against the Panthers when he saw them two years ago. It feels like the only thing stopping the Bears from playing well is themselves. If they come out sluggish, Carolina could use that to pounce early. A quick double-digit lead would force the Bears to lean more on the passing game.
This is the NFL. Anything can happen. Maybe Carolina’s pricey additions this offseason do the job. It just feels like the matchup favors the Bears, at least in this category. They feel they can run on anybody. Nothing about this Panthers defense should have them nervous. If Johnson digs into that playbook, he’s going to find an opening. We all know what follows when that happens.
