Coming off of losing two conference games in a row and with their backs against the wall, the Chicago Bears must face their demons this week in Ron Rivera, Greg Olsen, and the Carolina Panthers. The added storylines of Ron Rivera vs Lovie Smith and Greg Olsen vs the Bears defense along with the opportunity to see rookie sensation Cam Newton play has added an enjoyable level of excitement to this matchup. The Bears must follow a few simple keys in order to secure victory in this virtual must-win battle versus the up and coming Carolina Panthers.

Disciplined Coverage
The Bears defense is going to be challenged in the passing game. I expect rookie quarterback Cam Newton to take several shots deep with veteran Steve Smith. The secondary will already be facing an uphill battle with safety Chris Harris being sidelined again. The safeties must play disciplined in order to discourage Newton from building confidence in the deep ball versus the Bears defense. An interception on a deep ball would go a long way towards making Newton hesitant while pulling the trigger. The Panthers offense will also work the double tight end passing attack which will put pressure on the nickel back, safeties and linebackers that have to cover them. The difficulty only increases once Newton gets out of the pocket. Whoever ends up covering the Panthers tight ends cannot freelance in this game or they can expect another 3 TD game from the tight end position this week.

Tackling
Cam Newton isn't the only tackling challenge for the Bears defense. The Panthers still have two very solid running backs in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. Expect the Panthers to try to get the running game going early to help the rookie move the chains. It won't be easy, but the Bears must shut down the Panthers running backs to help force their offense to become one-dimensional. Even if the running game gets shut down, the Panthers will still use Newton as a runner via the option and on quarterback keepers, which they like to run. The defensive ends especially are going to have to be disciplined in keeping their edge contained in order to box Newton in. If the ends get too much pressure and fly passed Newton, he will take the open lane forcing a defensive back or linebacker to come up from coverage to cover him as he approaches the line of scrimmage. More than ever versus Newton especially, the first defender must attack the ball carrier as opposed to the ball itself. It could only take one or two missed tackles to allow Newton to hurt the Bears.

Maximize Opportunities
The Bears defense does a great job of forcing quarterbacks to try to play mistake free in order to score points. The Bears won't try to wow Newton with crazy alignments and they don't have to. As long as they play their coverage, expect Newton to try to force the ball at times. When he does, the Bears have to capitalize on the opportunity. A turnover or two can easily put the Bears in position to seize control of this game. Almost more important than the defense capitalizing is for the offense to score on any turnovers that they may receive. The Bears have to put up points off of turnovers in order to force Newton to bring the Panthers back versus the Bears patient defense.

Solid Pocket
Carolina's defense is weak vs the pass and their secondary will be hurting without starting cornerback Chris Gamble. Expect Ron Rivera to bring the heat on Jay Cutler especially after their early season struggles versus the blitz. If Cutler can trust his pocket early in the game, it could go a long way towards Cutler finally being able to get into a rhythm with his receivers this week. It's going to be tough sledding the next few games without Bennett. The positive thing about it is it gives the other receivers more of an opportunity to build a comfort level with Jay similar to the one he already has with Bennett. I expect Jay to throw to Sanzenbacher quite a bit in this game. I also expect Jay to target Williams on occasion. If Williams can gain Cutler's confidence early, this game could go a long ways towards significantly building their chemistry together. Eventually the Bears need to also connect on deep ball attempts to Hester if they plan on becoming an explosive offense.

Run the Ball
With Marion Barber set to finally make his regular season debut and with the Panthers defense being susceptible to the run, the Bears need to get their running game going this week. Assuming the Bears have any level of success this week, they will need to rest Forte for a few series and that's when Barber must make defenses pay. His tough, physical running style and his solid pass blocking skills can give future defenses much to prepare for when facing the Bears offense in upcoming weeks. Forte will get his touches this week both on the ground and in the air so that shouldn't be a problem. Contrary to the recent lack of production, I expect the Bears running game to look improved this week if for nothing more than they've had a few games of tape to adjust to. They know what their guys can and cannot do and we should see that knowledge translate into more successful running plays being called this week.

Final Pick: Bears 30 Panthers 20
The offense should put up two touchdowns of their own accord with another coming off of great field position due to a defensive takeaway. I expect the Panthers offense to put together at least one solid touchdown scoring drive versus the Bears defense. Though I expect the Panthers to move the ball, I think they will struggle once they cross the 50 yard line. Newton is going to make his mistakes and the Bears simply need to capitalize on them in order to force the Panthers to become one-dimensional. If the Bears can play with a 2-score lead for most of the game, their defense will have the Panthers offense right where they want them. It should be a very good game to watch even if the Bears have a 2-score lead for most of the game. With all of the storylines and talent on the field it should be quite entertaining for both Bears and Panthers fans alike.