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Bears Must Deliver in These 3 Key Areas to Ensure Week 5 Victory

By Joseph Grassano

Sep 29, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (30) has the ball as Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson (55) attempts a tackle in the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Sep 29, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (30) has the ball as Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson (55) attempts a tackle in the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
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The Chicago Bears look to extend their seven-game home winning streak on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers at 12 PM CT.

Since benching Bryce Young for Andy Dalton, the Panther's offense has performed better. But they enter this matchup coming off of a 34-24 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals which featured a number of injuries for Carolina as well.

Unlike the LA Rams, the Panthers have one of the worst rosters in the NFL, even when healthy. That's why, entering the season, many people marked this game down as an easy win for the Bears.

Nonetheless, the way Chicago played during September showed that no win was guaranteed. With that in mind, here are three keys to a Bears victory on Sunday.

1. Contain Chuba Hubbard

The Bears' run defense has struggled the first month of the season, allowing an average of 121 yards per game. In the past two games, the Bears have allowed Jonathan Taylor and Kyren Williams to rush for over 100 yards.

While Taylor and Williams are some of the league's best backs, the performance was still embarrassing since stopping the run should have been the focus entering the game.

Entering this week, the Bears must focus on containing Chuba Hubbard. Although Hubbard isn't the same caliber of back as Taylor and Williams, he is no slouch.

Hubbard has rushed for over 100 yards in the past two games. In Week 3, Hubbard had 21 carries for 114 yards and averaged 5.4 yards per carry. Last week, Hubbard averaged 5.7 yards a carry on 18 carries for 104 yards and a touchdown.

Along with his rushing success, Hubbard has nine passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns in the past two weeks. While slowing down Hubbard's rushing will be the main priority, they also need to watch for him in the passing game. Although the Panthers aren't great, keeping Hubbard to under 100 rushing yards hopefully builds momentum for the Bears' run defense going forward.

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