Sorry, not sorry: Bears Film Study spots a meek opponent

After a lopsided victory, it's natural to ask if the Bears actually played as well as the 36-10 score indicated, or was it just a sorry opponent.

Well, Bears Film Study has the answer: Carolina was really, really bad Sunday.

An easy win is always better than a narrow loss, and the Panthers do have a victory over the Raiders this season. So no complaints, but this was a weak opponent outcome if there ever was one.

Carolina was in sorry shape to begin with. Two middle linebackers were injured, leaving rookie Trevin Wallace to make his first start. Two starting offensive linemen left with injuries in the second half, while wide receiver Adam Thielen and Pro Bowl defensive lineman Derrick Brown are on the injured list.

Five games into the season, the Panthers' sack leader is defensive tackle Jayden Peevy with 1.5. The Bears' first touchdown, a 34-yard pass to D.J. Moore, was a nice route concept where Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze went deep, while Moore cut underneath them. But it takes a long time to develop, so Caleb Williams needed time.

Fortunately for Williams, Moore and the Bears, Peevy wasn't on the field. Neither was Charles Harris, who got the lone Panthers sack Sunday, nor Jadeveon Clowney. Cole Kmet and De'Andre Swift double-teamed the blitzing Wallace, and Williams literally had all day.

During the Bears’ second drive, they converted a third-and-11 by running a simple tight end delay to Gerald Everett. With no pass rushers to block, Everett could simply count to three, get wide-open, then juke safety Nick Scott for a gain of 17.

Earlier on the drive, the first bootleg pass resulted in a wide-open catch and run of 23 yards to Moore. On the 42-yard screen pass to Swift that set up the third TD, no offensive linemen were in front of Swift when he caught the ball, but there was plenty of green grass, since motion by Moore emptied one side of the field of defenders.

The fourth TD, a 30-yard deep pass to Moore, might have been the worst defensive display as Moore simply beat corner Michael Jackson one-on-one. Where was the safety, you might ask? He had a crisis on the other side of the field, where two Panthers defensive backs collided. If the safety had shaded toward Moore, Allen would have been 10 yards in the clear.

The Bears’ offensive line had a decent day, but consider the level of competition. Right guard Matt Pryor was the standout if you had to pick one.

The defense was able to keep Diontae Johnson in check, but the other receivers weren't good, the Panthers lost their best tight end to injury and quarterback Andy Dalton, 36, was not sharp.

Defensive line depth has been mentioned here as a concern. Carolina's lone highlight, the 38-yard TD run by Chuba Hubbard, went right through Chris Williams, who was giving Gervon Dexter a rest.

In a nutshell, there may be no other games this season anywhere close to as easy as this one.

Williams watch

Obviously, Caleb Williams' stat line was exactly what you want to see — 304 yards, 69% completions, no interceptions. He's still learning to process defenses, though. On the first possession, he took a sack when he could have dropped it over the middle to Rome Odunze. Later, he scrambled when Keenan Allen was wide-open with room to run. Even the first touchdown to D.J. Moore was late and nearly caused him to step out of bounds.

Here are two nice things about Williams: If he hesitates instead of throwing the ball, he tends scramble for 5 or 6 yards, which isn't a bad consolation prize. When he does have time and an open receiver, he almost always zips a laser that's right on target. Cha-ching.

Worst play

The fumble recovery late in the second quarter changed momentum for the Bears, but was also a harsh illustration of the dark side of football. Jaquon Brisker knocked Carolina tight end Tommy Tremble senseless with a big hit, and he immediately dropped the ball.

Not a great scene, but neither was Brisker playing the rest of the game. Then he didn't make the flight to London due to concussion protocol. Here's hoping he stays home. Taking a second big hit after already suffering a concussion can end a player's career. Someone on the Bears sideline should have pulled Brisker off the field Sunday.