Bears vs. Panthers: Odds are against Nick Foles, Allen Robinson

Foles takes on a tough pass defense

These two pass defenses are eerily similar. The Bears have given up the fewest passing touchdowns in the NFL this season with just four. But, the Panthers aren’t far behind, tied for third-fewest with just six passing touchdowns given up.

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We will get to this a little later, but Carolina isn’t giving up big plays. They don’t allow many receivers to get behind them and are a disciplined group. The one vulnerability they have, though, is the fact that they still allow quarterbacks to complete nearly 69 percent of passes.

It’s an odd conundrum when you look at different sets of data for this defense. Foles will likely make his living on Sunday by targeting Robinson, along with others on crossing routes or dig routes. The Bears can take advantage of some softer coverage underneath while not necessarily banking on a long play.

How is this for confusing: The Panthers are dead last in the NFL in sacks (five), yet give up the fifth-fewest passing yards per game (223.0). It’s an odd defense to analyze, quite frankly, because they don’t get to the quarterback too often. Yet, they simply do not allow quarterbacks to make the big throws, nor do they allow receivers to make the big catch.

It’s a small sample size, but in Foles’ two full starts so far, he’s passing for 246 yards per game on average (243 against Tampa Bay last week and 249 against Indianapolis the week prior).

With a third week of full preparation as the starter, Foles should be even more in sync and ready to go against another tough pass defense. This is going to be a phenomenal test for him.