Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears – Preseason Game 1 preview
The Carolina Panthers kickoff preseason play against a Chicago Bears team with Super Bowl dreams.
Carolina Panthers football returns this Thursday night in the Windy City. Yes, it won’t feature the starting units for very long, if any, but getting to match up against another team in live football action is still better than practicing against each other down in Spartanburg at training camp.
For Panthers fans, getting rid of the bad taste from a disappointing year and monumental collapse throughout the second half of 2018 can’t come soon enough. Quarterback Cam Newton underwent another shoulder procedure this offseason, but appears healthy and ready to roll moving forward. If all goes well, Newton should at least be in for a series this week.
Opposite Carolina, the Chicago Bears enjoyed an extremely successful campaign under new coach Matt Nagy last year. After parting ways with John Fox, who finished last in the NFC North during each of his three seasons, Nagy turned things around winning 12 games, the division and making the playoffs for the first time in eight years.
2019 PRESEASON: CAROLINA PANTHERS (0-0) at CHICAGO BEARS (0-0)
KICKOFF: Thursday, August 8 at 8:00 PM ET
TV: WCCB (Local) with Saturday (8/10) replay on NFL Network at 11:00am
ONLINE: FuboTV Watch over 67 live sports and entertainment channels with a 7-day FREE trial!
LOCATION: Soldier Field (Chicago, IL)
WEATHER: 69 degrees, 65% humidity, 8mph N wind, 10% precipitation
LAST MEETING: 17-3, BEARS – October 22, 2017 (WEEK 7)
WHAT TO WATCH:
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As with any preseason game, getting a look at those battling for roster positions and hoping to contribute are fun to watch but this first opportunity presents a more unique scenario. For many, this game provides an opportunity to see the offseason additions alongside their Panthers teammates for the first time.
Throughout the entire offseason, general manager Marty Hurney was hard at work revitalizing a defensive front in need of a spark and addressing other problem areas. If anything positive came out of losing seven straight, it was how close Carolina remained in many of the contests despite playing with a limited playbook due to Newton’s injury.
The Panthers lost five of those seven by one score or less – a fact many who are projecting results for the 2019 season are forgetting, or at least choosing to ignore. For the new rookies, veteran additions including – Tre Boston, Javien Elliott, Gerald McCoy, Aldrick Robinson, Chris Hogan, Bruce Irvin, Matt Paradis and each of the draft picks – getting to see them in game action if/when they play should provide a brief glimpse at what the regular season holds in store.
dark. Next. Preseason Depth Chart Reactions
The Panthers make their 2019 Bank of America debut next week against the Buffalo Bills on Friday (8/16) night.