Bryce Young observed from the sidelines as Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams—forever linked to Young in NFL history—faced a critical third-and-13 late in the third quarter.
With a wired headset in his left ear, Young paced the sideline, as his Carolina Panthers attempted to rally from a significant 20-point deficit.
During offensive plays, he mentally rehearsed his role, and during defensive moments like this, he focused on the strategies he had been practicing all week as the scout team quarterback.
When the Panthers’ defense held Keenan Allen to a stop just short of the first down, Young cheered and high-fived his teammates, despite not having played in three weeks.
He was supportive, but this wasn’t the intended scenario.
The Carolina Panthers didn’t trade away two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and their best receiver just to have a cheerleader who would be sidelined two games into his second season.
They didn’t move up from the ninth to the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft expecting Young to finish his debut season with only 11 touchdowns against 10 interceptions, completing 59.8% of his passes while being sacked 62 times for a league-low of 477 yards.
Fair or not, the Panthers anticipated Young would perform reliably from the start, similar to Williams’ impact this year for Chicago.
Instead, the Panthers’ trade ended up facilitating the Bears’ rebuilding process while severely hindering their own, as Young’s dismal 2-15 rookie season enabled Chicago to secure the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which they used to select Williams.
On Sunday, as the two teams faced each other for the first time since Chicago drafted Williams with their acquired top pick, Young found himself primarily watching from the sidelines while his team struggled. In contrast, Williams excelled with a 126.2 passer rating, far surpassing Young’s career mark of 70.9. This disparity underscored how distant these franchises have become.
This was not merely about a game that pushed Chicago back above .500 at 3-2 while the Panthers headed home with a 1-4 record. It was about the key players responsible for that outcome—starting with the quarterbacks and one pivotal receiver.
On day Panthers could use DJ Moore, Bears did just that
The Panthers held their own early in the game, with both teams trading three-and-outs before exchanging touchdown drives.
After running back Chuba Hubbard burst through the middle of Chicago’s typically solid defense for a 38-yard touchdown, the Bears responded by scoring not just with any player but with two who were acquired from Carolina.
With 5:44 left in the first quarter, Williams sensed an opportunity as Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn failed to cover receiver DJ Moore, who had sprinted from left to right. Williams delivered a pass to Moore, who raced 34 yards for a touchdown against the team where he previously scored 21 touchdowns.
“It’s amazing,” Moore said post-game, with one daughter on each leg. “It took five weeks to get the down-the-field passing game going, and when it hits, it hits. It was good today.”
In the second quarter, the Bears began to pull away. Carolina failed to score as Chicago capped two scoring drives with 1-yard rushing touchdowns before returning to a player who had previously played for both teams.
With 24 seconds left in the first half, Williams looked off the safety to the right, slightly hesitated, and found Moore in the end zone for a 30-yard touchdown. Moore caught the pass despite tight coverage from Carolina cornerback Mike Jackson.
Williams and Moore were thrilled to connect on a play they had practiced extensively.
“We were both like, ‘Finally, we were able to hit that,’” Williams said. “The coverage shifted when I checked to the right side. DJ did a great job of keeping it tight and getting on his toes… He made an amazing catch.”
Having a standout player like Moore on the team made it a priority for Williams to get him the ball and let him shine.
Despite the Bears’ defense softening with their lead, the Panthers struggled to convert, finishing just 4 of 15 on third and fourth downs and 0-for-2 in the red zone.
They missed a key receiver who has averaged 55 first downs throughout his career and had difficulty bouncing back from offensive line injuries.
Young was brought in for the final drive, trailing by 26 points with 4:15 left. He completed 4 of 7 passes for 58 yards in his brief appearance.
Starting quarterback Andy Dalton noted that Young “looked comfortable,” while Panthers head coach Dave Canales appreciated Young’s opportunity to gain valuable live experience.
“He did a fantastic job, playing with energy, extending plays, and making completions down the field, which is all great,” Canales said. “It’s a tough situation, but I wanted to give Bryce a chance to keep showcasing his abilities while we had the time.”
On the other side, Williams completed 20 of 29 passes (68.9%) for 304 yards, two touchdowns, and no turnovers, adding 34 rushing yards on five carries.
“He knows this is his first year, and he’ll encounter various challenges,” Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said. “He’s learning and developing, and you can see that. Throughout our games, he needs to keep progressing.
“He’s going to level up.”
As Panthers dug their own hole, Caleb Williams reaped the benefits
Williams deserves credit for the progress he made in his fifth NFL start. He recorded his second-highest yardage total, achieved his best career passer rating, posted an impressive touchdown-to-interception ratio, and had his lowest sack count.
However, it’s fair to argue that the Bears have set up Williams for success far better than the Panthers did for Young last year. Young faced a coaching carousel, an unstable offensive line, and a limited group of skill players, all of which hindered his ability to find confidence and rhythm at the pro level.
While Williams might not have a significantly more stable offensive line, he benefits from a top-10 defense, a strong two-pronged run game, and a talented group of pass catchers, including Moore, Allen, and this year’s ninth overall pick, Rome Odunze.
The Bears’ trade haul also included right tackle Darnell Wright, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, punter Tory Taylor, Williams, Moore, and an additional second-round pick in 2025.
The Panthers deserve criticism for making a high-cost trade for a player they may have misjudged, were unprepared to support, or both.
On the other hand, the Bears acknowledge that their success isn’t solely due to their own efforts.
“We’re extremely fortunate to be in the situation we’re in,” said assistant general manager Ian Cunningham in an interview with Yahoo Sports during training camp. “We had good foresight and tried to maximize our draft position through certain moves. And I think part of it was that we got a little lucky, too.”
Now, with a clearer picture of their roster, the Bears seem to be finding the right formula to support Williams.
Some of their success on Sunday can be attributed to the quality of the Panthers’ defense against Williams, while some is due to an evolving game plan and a quarterback mindset that prioritizes sustaining drives over trying to make every play a big one.
The Bears are focusing on short passes, checkdowns, and run plays to open up deep shots, hoping that varying their looks at the defense before and after the snap will keep opponents scrambling.
“I thought he did a fantastic job extending plays,” Canales said of Williams. “We had him dead in the water on the right side a couple of times, but he escaped great rushes and pressure. Even when we had things covered, he extended the play and found completions.”
Williams and Moore also showcased their best chemistry to date, with Moore catching five of his eight targets for 105 yards and two touchdowns.
As the Bears prepare to travel to England to face the Jacksonville Jaguars next Sunday morning, they aim to build on the foundation they established with this win.
“It was a special game today that got us all going,” Moore said. “We’re having a lot of fun doing this. With fun comes a lot of wins, and with wins comes even more fun.”
