CHICAGO — D’Onta Foreman ran for a touchdown and the Chicago Bears boosted their shot at the top pick in the draft, beating the Carolina Panthers 16-13 on Thursday night.
The prime-time matchup between teams among the bottom five in the NFL delivered about as much drama as expected. But Chicago (3-7) made enough plays to come away with the victory.
The Bears also boosted their chances at the No. 1 pick because they have Carolina’s first-rounder in 2024. They acquired the pick along with DJ Moore last March for the top selection this year. The Panthers (1-8) are tied with Arizona — which plays Atlanta on Sunday — for the worst record in the NFL.
Foreman gave the Bears a 16-10 lead in the third quarter with a 4-yard run. Chicago was clinging to a three-point lead with 1:40 remaining when Carolina’s Eddy Pineiro attempted a 59-yard field goal. The ball landed well short.
Moore caught five passes for 58 yards against his former team. Rookie Tyson Bagent threw for 162 yards in his fourth straight start with Justin Fields sidelined because of a dislocated right thumb. The undrafted rookie from Division II Shepherd University in West Virginia didn’t see open receivers at times and completed 20 of 33 passes, a week after throwing three interceptions and losing a fumble in a loss at New Orleans.
Carolina’s Ihmir Smith-Marsette returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. But Bryce Young, coming off his worst game as a pro, had another rough outing. The No. 1 draft pick this year, he was 21 of 38 for 185 yards with a 68.4 rating. He threw three interceptions — two returned for touchdowns — in a loss to Indianapolis.
Adam Thielen caught six passes for 42 yards, and the Panthers fell to 0-5 on the road.
The Bears grabbed a 16-10 lead midway through the third on a 4-yard run by Foreman — who spent last season with Carolina — to cap a 38-yard drive after pinning the Panthers deep in their own territory. Chicago opted not to try a 2-point conversion to go up by seven.
Carolina got a big opportunity late in the third, taking over at the Chicago 40 after Trenton Gill shanked a punt. The Panthers got pushed back 20 yards to start the drive because of back-to-back penalties, then got to the 20 before Pineiro kicked a field goal to make it a three-point game early in the fourth.
The Panthers led 10-9 at halftime even though the Bears outgained them 205 yards to 97. Chicago ran 42 plays, but settled for three field goals by Cairo Santos.
Smith-Marsette, who played part of last season in Chicago, gave the Panthers a 7-0 lead in the first quarter when he returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown. He broke a tackle by Josh Blackwell, cut through the middle and used a hesitation move to get past punter Trenton Gill for his first career TD return.
Chicago answered with a 54-yard field goal by Santos. Former Bear Pineiro kicked a 33-yarder early in the second quarter to make it a seven-point game. Santos booted two more field goals, hitting a 36-yarder with just over three minutes left and 39-yarder as time expired, to make it a one-point game.
The Panthers host Dallas on Nov. 19.
