KEY MATCHUP
Bears nose tackle Eddie Goldman, coming off a six-tackle game against the Ravens, figured to have a sizable advantage against Panthers backup center Tyler Larsen. But he’s more likely to face five-time Pro Bowl center Ryan Kalil, who is expected to start after missing the last five games with a neck injury.
Besides being one of the best pulling centers in the league, Kalil also is more adept at pre-snap identifications than Larsen.
‘‘[Kalil] runs as well as any offensive lineman I’ve ever seen,’’ Panthers coach Ron Rivera said. ‘‘Very smart. Communicates very well. Understands our offense. And he’s a competitor. Tyler is a third-year player who’s learning and growing within our scheme, [but] he’s not where Kalil is. Bringing back a five-time Pro Bowl player is pretty exciting for us.’’
TRENDING
The Bears, who are coming off a 27-24 overtime victory last week against the Ravens in Baltimore, haven’t won back-to-back games since Weeks 9-10 of the 2015 season, when they beat the Chargers and Rams on the road.
KEY PLAYER
The Panthers’ Cam Newton, the NFL’s most valuable player in 2015, is the best-established run-pass threat at quarterback in the NFL. With nine touchdown passes and eight interceptions, his 85.3 passer rating ranks 30th in the league. But before a dud against the Eagles on Oct. 12 on ‘‘Thursday Night Football,’’ he threw six touchdown passes and one interception in road victories against the Patriots and Lions.
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Newton’s mobility and escapability will challenge the Bears’ discipline on defense. He has rushed for 161 yards (second among quarterbacks to the Texans’ Deshaun Watson’s 202) and three touchdowns this season. The Bears have allowed opposing quarterbacks to rush for 43 yards on eight carries, but the best running quarterback they’ve faced so far is Aaron Rodgers.
X-FACTOR
The Bears’ special teams allowed a touchdown on a kickoff return and another on a punt return against the Ravens to drop to last place in the league in both punt returns (15.6 yards) and kickoff returns (30.8).
Both big plays happened after special-teams ace Sherrick McManis left the game with a hamstring injury. With McManis unlikely to play (he’s listed as doubtful), the Bears’ special teams will be further challenged to recover from that debacle.
‘‘Sherrick’s been one of the best special-teams players on this club for several years, and he’s respected around the league,’’ Bears special-teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers said. ‘‘A guy who’s a really good player versus a guy who’s his backup, there’s usually going to be a difference there. But we expect everybody to play at the standard at which that position plays.’’
Follow me on Twitter @MarkPotash.
Email: mpotash@suntimes.com
