Tyson Bagent completes 20 of 33 passes for 162 yards as he made his fourth straight start for the Chicago Bears in the absence of Justin Fields; Bryce Young finishes 21 of 38 for 185 yards as the Carolina Panthers suffer a 16-13 defeat to slip to 1-8 on the year.
Friday 10 November 2023 07:19, UK
D'Onta Foreman ran for a touchdown and the Chicago Bears boosted their shot at the top pick in the draft as they beat the Carolina Panthers 16-13 on Thursday night.
The prime-time matchup between teams among the bottom five in the NFL delivered about as much drama as expected, but Chicago (3-7) made enough plays to come away with the victory.
The Bears also boosted their chances at the No 1 pick because they have Carolina's first-rounder in 2024. They acquired the pick along with DJ Moore last March for the top selection this year.
The Panthers (1-8) are tied with Arizona - who play Atlanta on Sunday - for the worst record in the NFL.
Foreman gave the Bears a 16-10 lead in the third quarter with a four-yard run, with Chicago clinging to a three-point lead with 1:40 remaining when Eddy Pineiro 59-yard field-goal attempt came up short for the Panthers.
Moore caught five passes for 58 yards against his former team, while rookie Tyson Bagent threw for 162 yards in his fourth straight start with Justin Fields sidelined because of a dislocated right thumb.
The undrafted rookie from Division II Shepherd University in West Virginia did not see open receivers at times and completed 20 of 33 passes, after throwing three interceptions and losing a fumble last week in a loss at New Orleans.
Carolina's Ihmir Smith-Marsette returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter.
But Bryce Young, coming off his worst game as a pro, had another rough outing. The No 1 draft pick this year was 21 of 38 for 185 yards with a 68.4 rating, after throwing three interceptions and having two returned for scores in a loss to Indianapolis.
Carolina Panthers
Chicago Bears
Adam Thielen caught six passes for 42 yards, and the Panthers fell to 0-5 on the road.
The Bears grabbed a 16-10 lead midway through the third on a four-yard run by Foreman - who spent last season with Carolina - to cap a 38-yard drive after pinning the Panthers deep in their own territory. Chicago opted not to try a two-point conversion to go up by seven.
Carolina got a big opportunity late in the third, taking over at the Chicago 40 after Trenton Gill shanked a punt. The Panthers got pushed back 20 yards to start the drive because of back-to-back penalties, then got to the 20 before Pineiro kicked a field goal to make it a three-point game early in the fourth.
The Panthers led 10-9 at half-time even though the Bears outgained them 205 yards to 97. Chicago ran 42 plays, but settled for three field goals by Cairo Santos.
Smith-Marsette, who played part of last season in Chicago, gave the Panthers a 7-0 lead in the first quarter when he returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown. He broke a tackle by Josh Blackwell, cut through the middle and used a hesitation move to get past punter Trenton Gill for his first career touchdown return.
Chicago answered with a 54-yard field goal by Santos. Former Bear Pineiro kicked a 33-yarder early in the second quarter to make it a seven-point game, before Santos booted two more field goals including a 36-yarder with just over three minutes left and a 39-yarder as time expired to make it a one-point game.
Bears running back D'Onta Foreman: "At the end of the day, man, all the hard work we put in, even with it not being pretty it still feels amazing. You know what I mean?"
Bears defensive end Montez Sweat: "They got swagger. All these guys, I really love kind of like the plug and play. I'm really going along with them trying to figure out the energy that they're bringing."
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young: "We have to be better. Our defense, great game, start to finish. We have to be better. I have to be better first and foremost. I have to be a lot better."
The Panthers are back in action at home to the Dallas Cowboys (5-3) next Sunday, while the Bears on the road against the Detroit Lions (6-2).
Week 10 continues on Sunday when the Indianapolis Colts (4-5) take on the New England Patriots (2-7) live on Sky Sports NFL, with build-up under way from 1.30pm ahead of kickoff at 2.30pm.
That is followed by the San Francisco 49ers (5-3) against the Jacksonville Jaguars (6-2), who have won five straight, from 6pm, and the Detroit Lions (6-2) against the Los Angeles Chargers (4-4) from 9.05pm.
