Today at 1:00 p.m. ET the reeling Carolina Panthers (2-2) will host the Chicago Bears at Bank of America Stadium on Fox in a matchup between NFC playoff hopefuls that can be live streamed by clicking this link. Panthers fans can hear the radio broadcast on WBT 1110, while Bears fans may do likewise on WGN 720.
The Carolina defense that carried them to an NFC South title in 2013 has been a letdown in 2014, and not just because defensive end Greg Hardy is sitting out indefinitely. They rank 22nd against the pass per FootballOutsiders.com (that's got a lot to do with Hardy), and 30th against the run.
That's bad news for the Panthers, who will be facing an elite running back (Matt Forte) and a hot quarterback in Jay Cutler with three elite weapons. The Bears are reeling a bit though; they were thumped by the Packers last week at home, their second home loss of the year. In a bit of a quirk though, they're 2-0 on the road.
"It's always hard to go on the road, especially in the NFL, coast-to-coast and win two games," Forte told the Bears' official website. "For us to drop two games at home, that leaves a bad taste in your mouth." Cutler though, like Packers QB Aaron Rodgers a week before, urged patience.
"It's early in the season," Cutler said. "We have a lot of football left to play."
With so much to worry about against the Bears, Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly said Forte will be the focal point. "Stopping the run is simple," Kuechly said. "If you're not in your gaps, they are going to rush you. If you're in your gaps, they can't run the ball. It's cliche, and as easy as it sounds, that's what it comes down to."
Bears Injury Report
Panthers Injury Report
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