The 4-1 Chicago Bears, now led by Nick Foles at quarterback, will look to improve to an impressive 5-1 on the season in Week 6 when they take on the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium.
The Bears are coming off a nice win at home over Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Foles, who took over for Mitchell Trubisky in the second half of the team's Week 3 comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons, has thrown for 680 yards and five touchdowns since Bears head coach Matt Nagy benched Trubisky.
With the Bears and Panthers game coming up, ClutchPoints has made four bold predictions from a Chicago perspective.
1. Chicago Bears rush for over 120 yards
Chicago is only 27th in the NFL in rushing yards per game through the first five weeks of the season. Nagy's running backs are averaging 95 rushing yards per game, as the Bears' o-line is one of the worst in the league.
However, the Panthers' defense is giving up 133 rushing yards per game, which is 25th in the NFL. Even though Nagy has been throwing the ball a lot more since inserting Foles for Trubisky, the Panthers' pass defense is one of the best in the league, so maybe the 2018 NFL Coach of the Year will switch things up in Week 6 scheme-wise.
For the Bears, David Montgomery is the team's leading rusher. He's carried the ball 63 times for 247 yards and one touchdown.
On the road, the Bears need to generate a run game and not put pressure on Foles, who will be facing a pretty good pass rush front and isn't mobile at all. With that being said, look for Chicago to turn back the clock and pound the ball on the ground against the Panthers.
2. Bears turn the Panthers over three times with one fumble and two INT's
Panthers starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater comes into the Bears game with four passing touchdowns and three interceptions in his first season with the club. If the Bears can get a pass rush going, they'll force Bridgewater into mistakes and make him uncomfortable in the pocket, which could lead to some errant throws for Eddie Jackson and Kyle Fuller to pounce on.
Look for Bridgewater to try and dink and dunk his way down the field in Week 6 since the Bears have an elite secondary. If Khalil Mack, Robert Quinn and Akiem Hicks can duplicate their performance from Week 5 against the Bucs with their aggressive scheme, Chicago will have some opportunities to take the ball away from the Panthers, who will once again be without superstar playmaker Christian McCaffrey.
Jackson wasn't targeted once in the Bucs game since he's one of the best strong safeties in the game. He had a pick-six taken away from him in the New York Giants game in Week 2 due to a penalty and is very hungry to get his first INT of the season.
3. Allen Robinson has a huge game
The Bears still haven't given Allen Robinson a contract extension despite the star wideout having a great start to the season. He's caught 35 balls for 421 yards and two touchdowns from Foles and Trubisky.
Everyone inside the Bears locker room knows Robinson is upset about his contract status. Multiple players on the team have actually taken to social media to voice their opinions about how Bears general manager Ryan Pace needs to take care of ARob, one of the best players on the team.
Against the Panthers, look for Robinson to have his third 100-yard game of the season and catch a touchdown from Foles. Carolina really doesn't have anyone who can stop Robinson from dominating the game on the outside or on the inside slant routes.
4. Bears win to improve to 5-1
The Bears have the better defense and more playmakers on offense. Although this Chicago team has been putrid on offense at times in the first half to begin the 2020 season, they usually play their best ball in the second half when their backs are against the wall.
With that being said, look for the Panthers to jump out to an early lead and then the Bears will come back to win the game as they did against the Detroit Lions, Falcons and Bucs. Foles may throw an interception, as he's still getting used to his new teammates after no preseason ball and not playing the first two games of the season.
However, history has shown that when Foles gets hot, he's surprisingly one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL. He found his groove against the Bucs after a shaky start, so the Bears are certainly hoping that momentum will carry over to the Panthers contest.
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