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The Chicago Bears Roller Coaster Ride continues, and it's a story that seems to be a bit familiar from last week.
The Panthers took the first score of the game by taking a botched punt return to the end zone for a touchdown. The Bears' defense held the Panthers' offense for a large portion of the first half, going up 21-7 on touchdown passes to Matt Forte and Alshon Jeffery and the team's first rushing touchdown of the year. Greg Olsen picked up a touchdown before the half ended, which turned out to be a precursor of things to come.
The second half was all Panthers, as the Bears had three straight drives end in turnovers to close out the fourth quarter. Jay Cutler threw his second interception on the day, followed by a rare Matt Forte fumble, followed by a sack and forced fumble on Cutler to close out the game. Preceding that, the Panthers tied the game on a Chris Ogbonnaya short-yardage touchdown; the Bears followed up with a field goal to retake the lead, and the Panthers eventually tied and took the game on points after turnovers.
This is the second game in a row where the wheels fell off after the half. We'll have plenty more to say tomorrow in Notes.
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Quick Stats:
Bears:
Jay Cutler: 28/36, 289 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT - 95.5 Rating; 3 carries, 22 yards, Rush TD
Matt Forte: 17 carries, 61 yards; 12 receptions, 105 yards, TD
Alshon Jeffery: 6 receptions, 97 yards, TD
Brandon Marshall: 3 receptions, 44 yards
Panthers:
Cam Newton: 19/35, 255 yards, 2 TD, INT - 84.8 Rating; 6 carries, 9 yards
Darrin Reaves: 11 carries, 35 yards; 1 reception, 16 yards
Chris Ogbonnaya: 8 carries, 24 yards, TD
Kelvin Benjamin: 3 receptions, 38 yards
Greg Olsen: 6 receptions, 72 yards, 2 TD