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Why can't Bears realize potential? - Jon Greenberg: Bears boast considerable potential to be a contender, but Jay Cutler's mistakes highlight a team that keeps losing winnable games.
Bad losses becoming a scary trend under Marc Trestman - Adam Hoge: The Bears showed in the first 30 minutes that they were the better team and were in control. Then they threw and fumbled it away.
Disturbing trend: Bears finding ways to lose, not win, in crucial times - Moon Mullin: The downward spirals the past two weeks are all the more puzzling because the 2014 Bears seemed to be precisely the opposite kind of team after staving off the 49ers and Jets with second-half performances on both offense and defense.
Bears searching for wins, identity - Barry Rozner: The 2014 Bears have yet to play two halves in a game this season and are fortunate to be alive in the playoff race. The coaching staff better figure it out quickly or this season could get away from the Bears in a hurry.
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Chicago Bears 24, Carolina Panthers 31
Game report - (NFL.com) The Panthers took advantage of Gould's missed 35-yard field goal late in the first half and seized the momentum [Video highlights].
Game breakdown - The Tribune's drive charts, Three Bears, Cutler Watch, and game stats.
Game report - ChicagoBears.com's situational updates from the field as the Bears take on the Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Larry Mayer's pregame Q&As.
Bears squander 14-point lead in loss - Larry Mayer: The Bears had no one to blame but themselves after blowing leads of 21-7 and 24-21 in a deflating 31-24 loss to the Panthers Sunday at Bank of America Stadium.
Bears' offense goes silent in 31-24 loss - James Neveau: The Bears got off to a good start once again Sunday, but it all fell apart in the second half as they dropped a 31-24 decision to the Panthers.
Bears stumble down the stretch in loss to Panthers - Seth Lakso: Carolina outscored Chicago 17-3 in the second half to lock up the come-from-behind win.
Rapid Reaction - Michael C. Wright with a few thoughts on the Bears' loss to the Panthers. Notes from the locker room.
Bears give away ball, the win to Panthers - Patrick Finley: The Bears turned the ball over on their last three possessions in a stunning 31-24 loss.
Game review - Jeff Dickerson with five things we learned in the Bears' loss: Bears need to come up with a way to keep Brandon Marshall happy; D-line making impact plays.
Special teams mistake typifies Bears' season - Dan Wiederer: Early special teams error the kind of sloppy and disjointed play that has typified a 2-3 start to the season.
[Video] ESPN - Jeff Dickerson and Jon Greenberg break down the Bears' loss to the Panthers. [Dear ESPN, please prohibit Greenberg from looking directly at the camera. He's creepier than Mark Potash. kthanksbye.]
[Video] ESPN - Merril Hoge breaks down the Panthers' 31-24 win over the Bears.
[Video] CSNChicago - Jen Lada and Moon Mullin discuss what went wrong in Bears' collapse in Carolina.
[Video] Postgame Live - The panel's opening thoughts on loss to Panthers. Jiggs is pretty angry.
[Video] Postgame Live - Assessing the defensive effort.
[Video] Postgame Live - Injury update: Chris Conte leaves with another concussion.
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Offense struggles
Second-half struggles continue - Mini-Larry: The Bears offense had plenty of chances, but was unable to deliver when the team needed it in Sunday's 31-24 loss to Carolina.
Three late turnovers cost Bears game - Larry Mayer: The Bears committed turnovers on each of their final three possessions Sunday, enabling the Panthers to score the tying and winning points in a 31-24 victory.
Bears' loss to Panthers a total team failure - Bob LeGere: There was plenty of blame to go around in the Bears' second straight defeat that featured a late collapse, but the failings of the offense have been especially disappointing.
Second-half woes continue for Jay Cutler, Bears - Michael C. Wright: The Bears have been outscored 34-3 in the second half of their past two outings -- both losses.
Offense falters down the stretch - Dan Durkin: Every phase lent a hand in the loss, but the offense has to be counted on to play four quarters of football if this team wants to be considered as anything other than ordinary.
Solid start, another sad finish for Bears - Rich Campbell: Bears' offense has committed five turnovers in 11 second-half possessions spanning the last two games.
Blame Bears offense for a 2nd straight defeat - David Haugh: A franchise that committed the bulk of its financial resources to the offensive side of the ball must demand more return on its investment.
Bears' woes start with Cutler - Is-Hub Arkush: This game wasn't a gimme and Bears fans should not give up their playoff hopes yet, but the new multi million-dollar 21st century offense is now costing them games as its leader continues to make the same, old mistakes.
Cutler comes up small again with game on the line - Rick Telander: Once again, we wonder where the Bears stand. When will Cutler take charge? More important, does he know how?
Forte’s near-TD, Gould’s missed FG swung momentum - Mark Potash: The Bears had their chance to put this game away early and blew it, starting with Martellus Bennett's failure to block for Matt Forte to score.
Bennett's missed block winds up haunting Bears - Dan Wiederer: Martellus Bennett's non-block grows into huge missed opportunity in tough Bears loss. Seth Lakso: Bennett not interested in taking blame for missing key block.
[Video] Postgame Live - Offense fails to finish in loss.
[Video] Postgame Live - 15 on 6 vs Panthers,
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More from the game
Bears defining themselves - Dan Bernstein: Sloppy, dumb and self-defeating aren’t the preferred traits teams want defining them, but you have to take what you can get.
Too many goats to count in dismal loss by Bears - Rick Morrissey: If the Bears’ locker room does turn into a thicket of finger pointing, all those fingers will be the right direction. There were so many people to blame that you really couldn’t go wrong in assessing culpability.
Shouldn't someone lose a job after this choke? - Rosenmoan gonna Rosenmoan.
Embarrassment the only word for Bears loss - Mike Imrem: The Bears should be as embarrassed as a football team could be. But they didn't appear to be red-faced or red-reared enough after losing to the reeling Panthers. Wharrgarble!
Nothing going right, Bears season could turn ugly - Brad Biggs: Did the Packers and Panthers outscheme Trestman and his staff with some halftime adjustments or simply seize momentum and not give it back? Either way, it's indictable.
Bears can’t blame this loss on the defense - Adam L. Jahns: The most troubling aspect is that the offense seems to [be] becoming fully reliant on a defense that hasn’t proven to be reliable.
10 thoughts - Brad Biggs with about eleventy-hundred thoughts after the game: Panthers made adjustments on defense; the Bears offense didn't counter.
Game notes - Larry Mayer: Defense played takeaway early in loss; Panthers split workload to backup backs; Jared Allen leads team in tackles on return; injury news.
Game notes - Bob LeGere: Numbers show how offense struggled in second half; Martellus Bennett on staying in to block; Greg Olsen not holding grudges; special teams gaffe costs Bears; injury news.
Game notes - Not-Hub Fishbain: Second half dooms Bears again; injuries an issue again on defense; stats from the game. Quotes, the good and the bad, key moments.
Game notes - Patrick Finley: Newly-signed Teddy Williams heard whistle on TD return by Philly Brown; Matt Slauson on return from high ankle sprain; more notes from the game.
Game notes - Rich Campbell: Greg Olsen victimizes former team with 2 TDs; quiet day for Brandon Marshall; injury news.
Ron Rivera: 'Felt great' to beat Bears - Seth Lakso: In two previous meetings against the Bears as Carolina’s head coach, Rivera had gone 0-2, falling 34-29 at Soldier Field in 2011 and 23-22 on a last-second field goal the following season.
Bears quotes - ChicagoBears.com with quotes from Bears players following Sunday's game against the Panthers.
Lamarr Houston critical of fair-weather fans on Twitter - (CBS): Tells those who are wavering in their belief to "eat dirt."
[Video] highlights from ChicagoBears.com; photos from ChicagoBears.com ... Daily Herald ... Hub-or-not-Hub.com.
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Game grades
[Video] ESPN - Michael C. Wright awards the game ball to Matt Forte for his strong day, lost fumble notwithstanding.
Game grades - Jeff Dickerson: Nobody escapes unscathed when a team doesn't live up to expectations in a given week.
Moon Mullin's game grades: QB - RB - WR/TE - O-line - D-line - LB - DB - STs - coaching.
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Deep breath, everyone. Let's have some calming Bach. Don't make me tell my Arnold Schwarzenegger joke about classical musicians again.