Bears vs. Panthers: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Time and Predictions
By Chris Roling
Jul 28, 2013; Spartanburg, SC USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Ted Ginn (19) catches a pass while being defended by cornerback Josh Thomas (22) during training camp held at Wofford College. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
The Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers both have plenty of questions that need answered in their preseason Week 1 matchup set for Friday.
Quarterbacks are in place thanks to Jay Cutler and Cam Newton, but those may be the most recognizable names on two rosters better than given credit for. Chicago has a new high-flying offense with Marc Trestman while the Panthers will field a more impressive defense in 2013.
Here’s a breakdown of the matchup.
Where: Bank of America Stadium, NC
When: August 9, 2013, 8:00 PM ET
Watch: WFLD 32 (FOX – Chicago), WCCB 18 (CW – Charlotte)
Live Stream: NFL Game Rewind
Bears Player to Watch:
Jul 26, 2013; Bourbonnais, IL, USA; Chicago Bears tight end Martellus Bennett during training camp at Olivet Nazarene University. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Trestman is going to run his running back Matt Forte into the ground—in a good way. Forte is going to catch a huge amount of passes as well, as are receivers Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall.
What we don’t know is how much Trestman will utilize the tight end position, which is strange because one of the highlights of the offseason was bringing in Martellus Bennett. Watch to see how much Bennett is used during his brief stint in the game.
Panthers Player to Watch: Star Lotulelei
May 10, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Star Lotulelei runs a drill during the practice held at the Carolina Panthers practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Carolina entered the draft needed to seriously fix the defensive line. You can have the best linebackers in the world, but if the space eaters up from are ineffective the linebackers are not going to have room to work.
The Panthers solved this problem in a big way with Star Lotulelei. He’ll start right away and could see a lot of action against the Bears as the team tries to get him adapted to the NFL. This is our first look at someone who will have a major impact on the success or failure of the 2013 Panthers.
Matchup to Watch: Bears Running Game vs. Panthers Defense
Jul 26, 2013; Bourbonnais, IL, USA; Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte (22) tosses a football during training camp at Olivet Nazarene University. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
The Bears have a new tackle in Jermon Bushrod and are facing a defense in the Panthers that was horrid against the run a year ago. Now is as good a time as any to see how the new rushing attack will work under Trestman.
The depth chart itself is already set in stone, but this will be an early indicator as to how the rush offense will work, and really how Trestman plans to use it. He’s known as a short pass kind of guy to substitute for the run, but we’ll see if that changes in Chicago.
Prediction
Jul 26, 2013; Bourbonnais, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) huddles with his teammates during training camp at Olivet Nazarene University. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
It is hard to gauge which team has better depth at this point but it is no secret the Bears have been doing a better job of drafting over the past couple of seasons. Add in smart additions via free agency compared to the Panthers acting almost complacent on the market (why does Cam Newton still not have any weapons?) and the nod goes to Chicago.
Bears 21, Panthers 20
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