The Chicago Bears (3-2) defeated the Carolina Panthers (1-4), 36-10, in dominating fashion in Week 5, which marked the team’s first winning streak of the 2024 NFL season. It also extended their league-best home winning streak to 11 games.
The Bears were dominant both on offense and defense as both phases did their part, which resulted in a blowout win. Chicago’s offense has found itself identity behind a strong run game (as D’Andre Swift had another solid outing) and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams continues to improve with each game. Williams and receiver DJ Moore stole the show on offense. But the defense also continued its domination with four sacks, three takeaways and have now held opponents to 21 points or less in 11 consecutive games.
There were several standout performances on offense and defense, which led to the team’s third win of the season. We’re taking a look at the mostly studs and one dud from Chicago’s win vs. Carolina:
Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams has shown improvement with each passing game, and he had his best outing of his young career against the Panthers. Williams completed 20-of-29 passes for 304 yards with two touchdowns and zero turnovers for a career-best 126.2 passer rating. Two of those scores came to Moore, as two of the team’s biggest playmakers have finally found a rapport. Williams has two 300-yard games in just five contests, and he continues to show an understanding of this offense with another efficient outing. Williams is the first Bears rookie quarterback to have multiple games with 300 passing yards in the modern era, and he’s played in just five games. Not bad for the No. 1 pick.
Have a day, DJ Moore! Facing his former Panthers team for the second time in as many seasons, Moore put on a show for the Soldier Field crowd with his best outing of the season. He led the Bears five catches for 105 yards, and his connection with Caleb Williams is finally thriving as the pair connected for two touchdowns in the first half, which included an impressive 30-yard score. Moore continues to thrive as WR1, and he got the last laugh two years after the trade that brought him to Chicago from Carolina.
Second-year defensive tackle Gervon Dexter is making a case for breakout player for the Bears, where he’s made a strong impression during these five games to open the 2024 season. Dexter was a menace as an interior pass rusher, where he had two sacks (which are shared 0.5 sacks). He also came up big on the takeaway front when he recovered a fumble after safety Jaquan Brisker forced a fumble late in the second quarter. Dexter finished with two tackles, one sack, 4 QB hits and one fumble recovery. Dexter already has four sacks in five games this season, and he’s establishing himself as one of the league’s best young defensive tackles.
The Bears secondary shined against the Panthers, where third-year cornerback Kyler Gordon continued to make plays. Gordon had five tackles, 0.5 sack, one QB hit and came up with a huge fumble recovery — after linebacker Tremaine Edmunds punched it out — and set Chicago’s offense up for a Roschon Johnson rushing touchdown. While Gordon wasn’t perfect — he did have a missed tackle that led to a Panthers field goal — he continues to be a playmaker for this Chicago secondary. This marks the second consecutive week where Gordon has recovered a fumble.
For the second straight week, running back D’Andre Swift has earned a spot on our studs list. Swift once again played a key role in the Bears’ rushing attack, which totaled 128 yards, where he had 21 carries for 73 yards (3.5 yards per carry) and a touchdown. He also thrived in the passing game, where he had two catches for 47 yards. Swift has been one of the catalysts that has allowed this Chicago offense to find its identity, and he continues to show up in a big way in the last two weeks.
Defensive tackle Andrew Billings doesn’t always get the recognition he deserves, but he’s been one of GM Ryan Poles’ best additions during his tenure. Billings was a force for this defensive line, in tandem with the aforementioned Gervon Dexter, where he shined as an interior pass rusher. Billings had two tackles, including one tackle for loss, one sack and one QB hit.
The Bears secondary showed up in a big way, where they held quarterback Andy Dalton to just 136 passing yards. While there were several standout performances, including the aforementioned Kyler Gordon, Byard played a key role in the victory with his first interception of the season. With the Panthers looking to strike on their first possession of the second half, Byard came away with an impressive interception of Dalton on a pass intended for receiver Jonathan Mingo. Byard finished tied for a team-best six tackles, including one tackle for loss, as well as a pass breakup on that interception.
While Kramer has proven to be an effective fullback in the past two weeks — and again on two Roschon Johnson touchdowns — he had a costly penalty. Kramer was called for clipping — the first time it had been called on Chicago since 2003 — which negated a 1-yard rushing touchdown by Caleb Williams while also backing them up 14 yards. The Bears had to settle for a field goal instead. Ultimately, it didn’t prove to be detrimental. But it was the most notable mistake on the afternoon for Chicago.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears vs. Panthers: Studs and duds from Chicago’s Week 5 win
