Panthers at Bears: Highlights, score and recap

In an NFC matchup on Sunday afternoon, the Carolina Panthers headed to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.

Many people expected the Chicago Bears offense to struggle moving the ball against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, so Bears safety Eddie Jackson took matters into his own hands. During the first quarter alone, Jackson returned a fumble and an interception over 70 yards for a touchdown, putting the Bears out to an early lead. In fact, that would be all the scoring Chicago would need, as the defense hounded Cam Newton all game long.

The Panthers came into this game with ten days to prepare, as they had not played since losing to the Philadelphia Eagles during Thursday Night Football in Week 6. As for Newton, he could not protect the ball against a tough Bears defense on the road and Chicago forced multiple turnovers by the former MVP in this one. Chicago has been tough inside Solider Field this season, and they proved to be too much to handle for the Panthers in this one.

Jackson was not the only defensive star on the afternoon, as Danny Trevathan made his presence known after returning from his suspension. Trevathan had a huge sack, a big interception, and showed why he is considered the leader of this defense. Chicago all of a sudden looks pretty tough, and with the injuries up and down the NFC North, maybe they make a run here.

Highlights

Three Stars

1. Eddie Jackson, Chicago Bears

The former Alabama standout was the star player in this game, as his two touchdowns proved to be the difference in this one. Scoring one touchdown when you are a defensive player is a special afternoon, but Jackson did it on a fumble, and on an interception. Cam Newton struggled all day, and Jackson was a big reason why.

2. Danny Trevathan, Chicago Bears

Not to be outdone by Jackson, Danny Trevathan had a welcome return to the Bears lineup. In his first game back after being suspended for a hit on Davante Adams a few weeks back, Trevathan had an interception and a sack in this one. Having him back in the middle of this defense makes the unit a scary one going forward.

3. Carolina Panthers defense

While the Bears won by two scores, it was not because of their offense. Rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky struggled all game long against Carolina, and if their offense did anything, the Panthers might have won this game. The Panthers looked a bit beat up against the Eagles last week, so putting together a solid effort had to at least be one positive for the team on Sunday.

Betting Odds

The Carolina Panthers were road favorites in this one heading into the game, giving the Chicago Bears three points. Chicago must not have been liking the spread, as their defense dominated. The over/under was set at 41.0 points, and that made sense, as both offenses struggled on Sunday. The odds on this game changed throughout to week, so always be sure to check out sportsbookreview.com during the week for the latest odds and trends.

Next: 2018 NFL Mock Draft

Next Week

Both of these teams will play on the road in Week 8, as the Carolina Panthers will stay away from their home crowd and visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next weekend. The Bears will leave the friendly confines of Soldier Field and venture to New Orleans, where they will play the Saints down in the Bayou.