Windy City Gridiron - Preseason Game #1: Chicago Bears vs Carolina PanthersA Chicago Bears communityhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49985/windy-fav.png2013-08-09T22:04:59-05:00http://www.windycitygridiron.com/rss/stream/43715852013-08-09T22:04:59-05:002013-08-09T22:04:59-05:00Quick Recap: Bears lose Melton, Mannelly in loss
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<figcaption>Grant Halverson</figcaption>
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<p>In the preseason, wins and losses aren't nearly as important as performance and injuries. The Bears were beaten by the Panthers, and lost two critical starters in the process.</p> <p>Before we get to any stats, it is worth noting that defensive tackle <span>Henry Melton</span> suffered a concussion in the first quarter and did not return. We will continue to monitor the situation in hopes that his injury was not significant.</p>
<p>Also injured was long snapper <span>Patrick Mannelly</span>, who got hit in the ribs while covering a punt downfield in the first quarter. Mannelly also did not return. New linebacker <span>James Anderson</span> is listed at the backup long snapper.</p>
<p><b>Quick stats:</b></p>
<p><span>Jay Cutler</span>: 6/8, 56 yds, 0 TD, 1 INT</p>
<p><span>Matt Blanchard</span>: 15/18, 194 yds, 0 TD, 1 INT</p>
<p><span>Josh McCown</span>: 3/8, 27 yds</p>
<p><span>Matt Forte</span>: 1 rush, -1 yds</p>
<p><span>Michael Bush</span>: 2 rushes, 16 yds</p>
<p><span>Marquess Wilson</span>: 4 rec, 82 yds</p>
<p>We will have more comprehensive analysis tomorrow, but for now, feel free to download and decompress here. What were you pleased with, and did anything surprise you? Any disappointments?</p>
<p><b>NEXT GAME:</b></p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.windycitygridiron.com/">Bears</a> vs <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/san-diego-chargers">San Diego Chargers</a> (Soldier Field) - Thursday, August 15th, 8:00pm ET - ESPN</p>
<p> </p>
<h4>More from Windy City Gridiron:</h4>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/8/10/4609162/chicago-bears-fans-either-the-sky-is-falling-or-were-super-bowl-bound">Chicago Bears fans: Either the sky is falling, or we're Super Bowl bound</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/8/10/4608788/chicago-bears-vs-carolina-panthers-offensive-snap-counts-stats">Chicago Bears vs Carolina Panthers: Offensive Snap Counts</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/8/10/4608418/chicago-bears-den-august-10-2013-preseason-news-carolina-panthers-cheerleaders">The Weekend Bears Den: August 10, 2013 - Preseason news and notes</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/8/8/4602686/chicago-bears-2013-position-battles-cornerback">Chicago Bears 2013 Position Battles: Cornerback</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/8/9/4605542/2013-stats-over-under-chicago-bears-wide-receiver-brandon-marshall">2013 Stats over/under: Brandon Marshall</a></li>
</ul>
https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/8/9/4607804/recap-panthers-bears-henry-melton-patrick-mannelly-injury-update-statsDane Noble2013-08-09T20:30:40-05:002013-08-09T20:30:40-05:00Bears vs Panthers 2nd Half Open Thread
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<figcaption>Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>One half is in the books, and the Bears will look deep into their roster for the second half. Here we go!</p> <p>The most important note from the 1st half is that DT <span>Henry Melton</span> suffered a concussion, and is out for the remainder of the game. We'll keep a close eye out for his condition as the weekend progresses.</p>
<p>One half is in the books, and fringe players will be looking to make a splash in the second.</p>
<p>Have fun!</p>
https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/8/9/4607658/chicago-bears-vs-carolina-panthers-3rd-quarter-open-threadDane Noble2013-08-09T19:46:41-05:002013-08-09T19:46:41-05:00Bears vs Panthers 2nd Quarter Open Thread
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<figcaption>Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Here we go!</p> <p>The new offense is struggling, which is no surprise. <span>Jay Cutler's</span> first pass of the night was an interception, and he was sacked by his 10th pass attempt. But that's to be expected in a new system with a new coach and new personnel.</p>
<p>Our Open Threads continue... Have fun!</p>
https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/8/9/4607556/chicago-bears-vs-carolina-panthers-2nd-quarter-open-threadDane Noble2013-08-09T18:46:11-05:002013-08-09T18:46:11-05:00Bears vs Panthers 1st Quarter Open Thread
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<figcaption>Grant Halverson</figcaption>
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<p>Chicago Bears football is finally here. Sit back and enjoy, folks... We'll be here all night!</p> <p>One quick note from Bears camp this evening regarding one offensive and one defensive star:</p>
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<p>LM: Brandon Marshall and <span>Julius Peppers</span> will not play tonite due to coaches' decision.</p>
— <a href="https://www.windycitygridiron.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chicago Bears</a> (@ChicagoBears) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChicagoBears/statuses/365976134313185280">August 9, 2013</a>
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<script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></p>
<p>That means <span>Jay Cutler</span> won't be able to settle in with his security blanket, and will be forced to try out his new Trestfense with those <i>other</i> wide receivers.</p>
<p>And Peppers not playing means that <a href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Panthers</a> fans won't get to act a fool when he runs on the field (yes, they still do that).</p>
<p>We don't expect Cutler to actually play more than a series or two, but it will be enough to start knocking off the rust and get into a rhythm.</p>
<p><b>Other notes regarding the starting lineup:</b></p>
<p>- <span>James Brown</span> will start at Right Guard</p>
<p><span>- Jon Bostic will start at Middle Linebacker (D.J. Williams has a calf injury)</span></p>
<p>This is your first actual Chicago Bears Open Thread of the season... Have fun!</p>
https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/8/9/4607400/preseason-game-1-chicago-bears-vs-carolina-panthers-1st-quarter-openDane Noble2013-08-09T16:30:06-05:002013-08-09T16:30:06-05:00Pre-Party Open Thread Bears vs. Panthers
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<figcaption>Wesley Hitt</figcaption>
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<p>Welcome one and all to the first Windy City Gridiron Pre-Party open thread of the 2013 Chicago Bears season. Please remember that open threads are Rated WCG-MA.</p> <p>Tonight the Chicago Bears travel to North Carolina to visit the Carolina Panthers. Game time is 7pm Chicago time. The current weather in Charlotte is partly sunny and 89 degrees, and there is a chance of thunderstorms tonight. <a href="http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/charlotte-nc/28202/weather-forecast/349818" target="_blank">Click here</a> for more up to the minute weather info.</p>
<p><i>How excited are you for the Marc Trestman era to begin?</i></p>
<p>David Taylor passed this <a href="http://506sports.com/nfl-preseason-2013-week-1/?my_geo_free=US,United%20States,,,,38.0000,-97.0000,,," target="_blank">little nugget</a> along in <a href="http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/8/9/4603908/chicago-bears-den-august-09-2013-preseason-news-carolina-panthers" target="_blank">today's Bears Den</a> so that we all may know where to find the game.</p>
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<p>Chicago @ Carolina - 8:00 PM ET</p>
<p>Bears broadcast (Sam Rosen, Jim Miller):<br>WFLD 32 (FOX - Chicago)<br>WIFR 23 (CBS - Rockford)<br>WMBD 31 (CBS - Peoria)<br>WRSP 55/27 (FOX - Champaign/Springfield)<br>WSBT 22 (CBS - South Bend)<br>WTWO 2 (NBC - Terre Haute IN)<br>WEHT 25 (ABC - Evansville IN)<br>KLJB 18 (FOX - Davenport IA)<br>KFXA 28 (FOX - Cedar Rapids IA)<br>KPTM 42 (FOX - Omaha)</p>
<p>Panthers broadcast (Mike Morgan, Mike Rucker):<br>WCCB 18 (CW - Charlotte)<br>WTVD 11 (ABC - Raleigh/Durham)<br>WFMY 2 (CBS - Greensboro)<br>WSPA 7 (CBS - Spartanburg SC)<br>WITN 7 (NBC - Greenville NC)<br>WSFX 26 (FOX - Wilmington NC)<br>WWMB 21 (CW - Myrtle Beach)<br>WACH 57 (FOX - Columbia SC)<br>WCSC 5 (CBS - Charleston SC)<br>WJBF 6 (ABC - Augusta GA)<br>WVEC 13 (ABC - Norfolk VA)<br>WFXR 21/27 (FOX - Roanoke VA)<br>WAPK 19.2 (MyTV - Bristol TN)</p>
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<p>If you're wondering what to expect tonight, Steven began his weekly game preview series right here, <a href="http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/8/7/4596116/chicago-bears-carolina-panthers-preseason-nfl" target="_blank">Pleased to Meet You: Preseason Week 1, Carolina Panthers</a>. Read that now.</p>
<p>Steven also gave us his in season weekly staple, <a href="http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/8/4/4588048/bears-panthers-nfl-six-keys-to-victory-preseason" target="_blank">The Bears Six-Pack Keys to Victory: Preseason Game 1, Panthers Edition</a>.</p>
<p>If you're looking for an Xs & Os fix for tonight's game, then Ronkowski's <a href="http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/8/7/4596256/chicago-bears-playbook-luke-kuechly-versus-jay-cutler" target="_blank">Bears Playbook - Luke Kuechly Versus Jay Cutler</a> is a must read.</p>
<p>If you want to know about the various position battles the Bears will have waging on, then peruse the <a href="http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/7/30/4572290/chicago-bears-2013-position-battles-roster-bubble" target="_blank">Position Battles</a> story stream.</p>
<p><i>Let us know what you are looking forward to in this evening's contest, and please remember to tell us all how you feel about the Green Bay Packers.</i></p>
<h4>More from Windy City Gridiron:</h4>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/8/9/4605542/2013-stats-over-under-chicago-bears-wide-receiver-brandon-marshall">2013 Stats over/under: Brandon Marshall</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/8/9/4605392/chicago-bears-2013-position-battles-linebacker-roster-bubble">Chicago Bears 2013 Position Battles: Linebacker</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/8/9/4603908/chicago-bears-den-august-09-2013-preseason-news-carolina-panthers">The Bears Den: August 09, 2013 - Preseason news and notes</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/8/8/4602686/chicago-bears-2013-position-battles-cornerback">Chicago Bears 2013 Position Battles: Cornerback</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/8/6/4588020/nfl-2013-stats-over-under-chicago-bears-charles-tillman">2013 Stats over/under: Charles Tillman</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/8/7/4597656/chicago-bears-kelvin-hayden-training-camp-8-7-practice-recap">Chicago Bears Training Camp: 8/7 Practice Recap</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/8/8/4601570/chicago-bears-2013-position-battles-safety-roster-bubble">Chicago Bears 2013 Position Battles: Safety</a></li>
</ul>
https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/8/9/4606864/bears-vs-panthers-2013-game-time-tv-scheduleLester A. Wiltfong Jr.2013-08-07T17:34:00-05:002013-08-07T17:34:00-05:00Pleased to Meet You: Preseason Week 1, Panthers
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<figcaption>Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It's that time of year again. We're dusting off the recent history and breaking into the roster of the Carolina Panthers as we begin to preview the week's (preseason) opponent.</p> <p>Welcome to preseason, where everything's made up and the points (and the wins) don't matter. Or maybe everything doesn't matter, I'm not sure. But either way, we're finally here, breaking down the first preseason game of the year. After all, we need our practice too before things zip into high gear, and that includes a weekly Pleased to Meet You feature, where we introduce you to the opponent flavor of the week that will hopefully be used as a prop in a re-united Drew Carey edition of Whose Line en route to a <a href="https://www.windycitygridiron.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Bears</a> win.</p>
<p>I'm not sure what that last sentence was.</p>
<p>Either way, preseason week one brings us Cam Newton and the <a href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Carolina Panthers</a>.</p>
<p><b>Last Year: </b>7-9, tied for second in the NFC South with everybody else. Three teams with losing records, what a horrible division.</p>
<p><b>So Far This Year: </b>...Yes, those are actual crickets, not just some piped in crowd noise.</p>
<p><b>When Last We Met: </b>Just last year, the Panthers started the season on a long losing stretch, hitting the 1-6 mark with a 23-22 last-second field goal by <span>Robbie Gould</span>. Something about scoring 16 fourth-quarter points. You can read about that game <a target="_blank" href="http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2012/10/28/3567780/goulds-second-chance-lifts-bears-to-win-over-panthers-23-22">here</a>, along with the accompanying<a target="_blank" href="http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2012/10/29/3569118/bears-vs-panthers-notes-scribbles-and-things-jotted-down"> Notes from the next morning</a>. Yes, I may just be plugging our weekly game-routines at this point.</p>
<p><b>Offense (2012): <br>Total Points: </b>357 (18th)<br><b>Total Yards</b>: 5771 (12th in NFL)<br><b>Rushing Yards: </b>2088 (9th)<br><b>Passing Yards: </b>3683 (16th)</p>
<p>Remember how at the start of last season the Panthers weren't running the ball for anything? No, really, they weren't running the ball with Jonathan Stewart, <span>DeAngelo Williams</span> and Cam Newton, along with <span>Mike Tolbert</span>. That's why they fell to 1-6 after losing to the Bears. They finished the year 7-9 - well, that means they went 6-3 the rest of the way.</p>
<p>What happened, offensively? They figured out that running the ball might be a good idea. The passing numbers took a much deserved spike upwards (and boy, did they ever have to!), but including the Bears game, the Panthers ran for at least 100 yards in 9 of their final 11 games. (Hint: They lost the two they didn't, in the final 9.)</p>
<p>Oh, and that Steve Smith guy too. Maybe a bit of <span>Brandon LaFell</span> and <span>Greg Olsen</span>, who added 69 receptions and 843 yards with 5 touchdowns. Yeah, he's a receiving tight end who's used like... a receiving tight end. That's not a bad club to have in the golf bag as your second-leading receiver. They haven't invested many recent draft picks into the offense (at least not in 2012 and 2013), but 2013 sixth-round running back <span>Kenjon Barner</span> could make a little noise.</p>
<p>Now let's hit the other side of that coin - a defense that played pretty damn well to close out last season:</p>
<p><b>Defense (2012): <br>Total Points: </b>363 (18th)<br><b>Total Yards: </b>5329 (10th)<br><b>Rushing Yards: </b>1761 (14th)<br><b>Passing Yards: </b>3568 (13th)</p>
<p>So a top-10 yardage defense and a borderline top-10 defense overall, and where a lot of eyes will be on Friday night. <span>Luke Kuechly</span> begins his second year manning the middle of the Panthers' defense, a defense that held the final four opponents to 215 rushing yards combined - and held the <a href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Saints</a> to 38 points while the offense scored 44. And the defense added to ends <span>Greg Hardy</span> and Charles Johnson (11.0 and 12.5 sacks, respectively) with first-round draft pick <span>Star Lotulelei</span> and second-round draft pick <span>Kawann Short</span>. (And with <span>Kyle Long</span> and <span>Jermon Bushrod</span>, I'm not sure I'd want to have the Bears with Short with you guys around...)</p>
<p>The Panthers do get <span>Jon Beason</span> back this year, which should mitigate the loss of <span>James Anderson</span> to the Bears.</p>
<p><b>If the Bears do this...</b></p>
<p>It's preseason, so of course we're looking more at players than plays and outcomes, but I'd like to see some execution up and down the roster to show the offensive players are getting the scheme. I'm also interested to see how <span>Isaiah Frey</span> looks in the nickel packages against the ones, as well as how the new linebackers look tracking down the Carolina run game.</p>
<p><b>If the Panthers do this...</b></p>
<p>Expect that offensive line to be tested, heavily. You don't have Hardy and Johnson, add a first <i>and</i> second round pick to it at defensive tackle, and expect to not get anything out of it (And DT <span>Dwan Edwards</span> himself had six sacks last year). Might not be the <a href="https://www.prideofdetroit.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Lions</a> of <span>Cliff Avril</span>, Ndomakung Suh, <span>Nick Fairley</span> and <span>Kyle Vanden Bosch</span>, but this could still be a really good unit by the end of the year.</p>
<p><b>Closing Thoughts...</b></p>
<p>If you wanted to see something for the Bears to handle, this game, you're probably getting it. A matchup against a man-receiver, a matchup against a Cover-2 Destroying Tight End (TM), a matchup against a fierce and heavily-invested defensive line, and oh yeah, a solid running game to take on the linebackers? The Bears should have a pretty good early gauge on the depths of the roster.</p>
<p> </p>
<h4>More from Windy City Gridiron:</h4>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/8/6/4588020/nfl-2013-stats-over-under-chicago-bears-charles-tillman">2013 Stats over/under: Charles Tillman</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/8/7/4594840/chicago-bears-2013-position-battles-defensive-end-roster-bubble">Chicago Bears 2013 Position Battles: Defensive End</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/8/6/4591574/chicago-bears-2013-position-battles-defensive-tackle-bubble-roster">Chicago Bears 2013 Position Battles: Defensive Tackle</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/8/7/4597656/chicago-bears-kelvin-hayden-training-camp-8-7-practice-recap">Chicago Bears Training Camp: 8/7 Practice Recap</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/8/7/4596050/chicago-bears-den-august-07-2013-training-camp-news-and-notes">The Bears Den: August 07, 2013 - Training Camp news and notes</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/8/5/4591266/the-first-unofficial-chicago-bears-2013-depth-chart-has-been-released">The first unofficial Chicago Bears 2013 depth chart has been released</a></li>
</ul>
https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2013/8/7/4596116/chicago-bears-carolina-panthers-preseason-nflSteven Schweickert