Holmes: What To Watch For - Panthers At Bears
It's only Week 4, but don't get it twisted, this is a big game for the Bears. You don't want to have a three-game losing streak and you don't want to lose an NFC game at home.
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It's only Week 4, but don't get it twisted, this is a big game for the Bears. You don't want to have a three-game losing streak and you don't want to lose an NFC game at home.
Cutler said Wednesday that he was committed to the way offensive coordinator Mike Martz plans to run the Bears' offense.
Go ahead and blame the defense if you must for coming out flat and unprepared, blame the offense if you'd like for being perpetually inept. I'll blame the general manager.
The last two games have been interesting and have led to some interesting questions from you. Let's open up the mailbag and see what we can figure out.
It's supposed to be easier than this. During the truncated preseason, the Bears kept talking about how being in the second year of the Mike Martz system would bear fruit.
After Lovie Smith and Mike Martz said all week that the Bears would be more balanced against the Packers, Cutler threw the ball 37 times and running back Matt Forte had just nine carries.
The reasons for the Bears' inefficiencies are many, and shared. But, really. Somebody get open.
Through two games, Jay Cutler has been sacked 11 times. Beyond getting sacked, Cutler's been touched up quite a bit.
First it was the defending NFC South Champion Atlanta Falcons, then the 2009 Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints on the road, now they welcome to Soldier Field the defending Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers.
The Chicago Bears' offense needs to regain its balance, for Jay Cutler's sake if nothing else.
After a 30-13 defeat at the hands of the New Orleans Saints, the Bears now sit at 1-1 before the Week 3 showdown at Soldier Field with Green Bay.
I'm very excited about some of the matchups in this game. Not just on the field, but the intellectual battle between Mike Martz and Gregg Williams. This is a big game for the Saints. They'd hate to go 0-2 in a very competitive NFC South.
The Island of Cautious Pessimism is a comfortable place to be. You've been here before, too, at one time or another. I've seen you. I remember faces of like-minded Bears fans who wait with me for the inevitable.
Offensive football can feel like it's so complicated. Especially when you're dealing with the intricacies of Mike Martz's offense, but it really comes down to one thing: can you protect your quarterback?
Laurence Holmes takes your Bears questions every week in his mailbag.
Dane Sanzenbacher wanted to be a Bear even before the NFL Draft. After setting a number of records -- including career receiving yards (2,808) and career receptions (151) -- Sanzenbacher was labeled as one of those "fringe" guys before April's draft.
During practices, you can see Mike Martz stalking the practice field making sure that offensive players are in the right spot on time.
It's probably a good thing that the biggest story in training camp right now is the backup quarterback.
Fans that showed up to Olivet Nazarene University Tuesday night could not have been impressed with the Bears offense.
When it comes to protecting Jay Cutler, the focus centers on the offensive line, but the line and protection of Cutler extends out to the edge.
Well, one preseason game is in the books and there is a lot to talk about. Let's get straight to your questions:
Greg Olsen trade rumors started the moment Mike Martz was hired as offensive coordinator after the 2009 season and they never really went away until the tight end was finally traded to Carolina last month.
Bears quarterback Jay Cutler said Thursday that the team's offense last year was so poor that he doesn't know how they won games, and the offense absolutely must carry its weight this year.
What the Bears appear to be thinking is this: our problems last year were only a matter of personnel, and we have better parts in better places. We can run this system the way it was meant to run, last year's struggles be damned.
The mailbag heats up this week as the Bears get ready for their first preseason game against the Buffalo Bills Saturday.
Police are investigating a hit-and-run crash that caused an SUV to crash into a building in Chicago's Auburn Gresham neighborhood.
Two teens were injured in separate shootings overnight in Chicago.
As the season of giving comes to a close, the season of returning begins, but this year it could cost you more.
On Nov. 4, UPS Flight 2976 bound for Hawaii crashed moments after takeoff from Louisville International Airport, where UPS has its global aviation hub.
While much of the city is quiet on Christmas Day, Chicago's Chinatown buzzes with tradition, food and family.
Strikes against ISIS targets in Nigeria come after President Trump spent weeks accusing the West African country's government of failing to rein in the persecution of Christians.
The message, aired on Channel 4 on Christmas Day, reflected on the impact of President Trump's second term in office thus far.
Pope Leo XIV has revealed he privately urged Gov. JB Pritzker not to sign a bill legalizing medical assistance in dying in Illinois.
President Trump invoked a law called Title 10 to bring members of the Illinois National Guard under federal service over the objections of state and local leaders.
A host of new laws in Illinois will take effect on Jan. 1, 2026. From gun safety to rogue towers, protection from squatters, medical assistance in dying, protections for immigrants and more, here are some of the most notable changes in the new year.
A new report shines a light on electricity shortages that Illinois could face in less than 10 years.
With less than two weeks until Christmas, if you're sending gifts to people far from home, the deadlines to get them there on time are fast approaching.
A condo owner in Country Club Hills says he's forced to sell his home after his condo association failed to reimburse him for repairs to his leaking roof. Edward Hadnott's condo has sat empty since a major roof leak in 2022.
The U.S. stopped minting pennies this week, and some groups have issued a warning about the headaches that can create for some businesses and consumers.
Why is one school in the west Chicago suburb of Lisle paying a water bill three times higher than another? The answer has to do with a private utility company.
Millions of people with an Affordable Care Act health plan face a massive jump in premiums next year — this chart shows just how much.
It's the holiday season, which means it's the most common time of year for norovirus to spread. Here's what you need to know about this winter stomach bug.
A study conducted in part by Chicago's Northwestern Medicine found that tanning beds not only triple the risk of melanoma, but can also damage DNA across nearly the whole skin surface.
An investigation into the case of a Michigan man who contracted rabies after an organ transplant provided more details on the infection's origin.
The newest measles vaccination numbers released by Chicago Public Schools shows immunizations are finally moving in the right direction.
The Chicago Bears are expanding their search for a new stadium to Northwest Indiana, even though they already own land in Arlington Heights and have also proposed a new lakefront stadium in Chicago.
A Culver's is coming to Chicago's South Loop, a real estate broker has confirmed.
A new vision for passenger rail is on track in southeastern Wisconsin. The MARK Passenger Rail Commission held its inaugural meeting on December 5, 2025, at Racine City Hall.
U.S. Steel says it'll resume making steel slabs at its Granite City Works plant in Illinois amid strengthening demand.
Traffic at O'Hare International Airport is growing faster than expected, and this has Chicago city leaders wanting to make big changes to future construction plans at the airport.
The message, aired on Channel 4 on Christmas Day, reflected on the impact of President Trump's second term in office thus far.
The singer said an MRI showed a cancerous spot on one of his lungs after he recovered from a lengthy bout of bronchitis.
James Ransone, the actor who played Ziggy Sobotka in the HBO series "The Wire" and appeared in many other TV shows and movies, has died.
Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre is hosting "The Phantom of the Opera," and staff offered a firsthand look at the iconic chandelier inside the theater this week.
The special features interviews with Kathy Bates, Annette Bening, Albert Brooks, Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland, Jerry O'Connell and Mandy Patinkin.
Police are investigating a hit-and-run crash that caused an SUV to crash into a building in Chicago's Auburn Gresham neighborhood on Thursday night.
Two teens were injured in separate shootings overnight in Chicago.
Meteorologist Carl Lam has the extended forecast.
Morning showers with mild temperatures Friday. Highs around 50.
No ticket, no problem; some airports are starting to provide gate passes that allow people to go to the gate to meet or stay with arriving and departing friends and family.
Two teens were injured in separate shootings overnight in Chicago.
As the season of giving comes to a close, the season of returning begins, but this year it could cost you more.
A host of new laws in Illinois will take effect on Jan. 1, 2026. From gun safety to rogue towers, protection from squatters, medical assistance in dying, protections for immigrants and more, here are some of the most notable changes in the new year.
Police are investigating a hit-and-run crash that caused an SUV to crash into a building in Chicago's Auburn Gresham neighborhood.
On Nov. 4, UPS Flight 2976 bound for Hawaii crashed moments after takeoff from Louisville International Airport, where UPS has its global aviation hub.
Cameras not working, video evidence missed by police and a psychic that leads a hit and run victim's son to a clue that changes the case
Some Chicago area hospitals are at risk of significant flooding both in and around the buildings, according to new KFF Health News/Fathom models.
Lawmakers in Springfield are looking to address the high water bills being reported in some suburbs from customers of Illinois American Water.
Electric bills in the Chicago area could go up as much as $70 in the next three years because of data centers, according to the Citizens Utility Board.
Advocates and legislators are seeking solutions and and accountability for a pattern of Chicago police arresting Black gun owners on firearms charges despite valid FOID and CCL licenses.
One year ago, the Chicago Bears were fighting for draft positioning. Now they've clinched a playoff spot in the first year of a new coaching regime.
As the 11-4 Chicago Bears prepare for their Sunday night matchup with the 11-4 San Francisco 49ers, one player earned an extra Christmas present from the league thanks to his impressive performance against the Green Bay Packers.
Travis Konecny scored and added his 300th career assist, leading the Philadelphia Flyers past the Blackhawks 3-1 and handing depleted Chicago its sixth straight loss.
The Bulls trailed 117-107 but closed the game on a 19-6 run.
Three Chicago Bears players have been named to the 2026 NFC Pro Bowl roster: safety Kevin Byard III, center Drew Dalman, and left guard Joe Thuney.
A woman was released on electronic monitoring Wednesday after authorities said she drove drunk and caused a crash that injured a family of four in Lombard, Illinois.
Multiple cars were broken into this week in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood.
Four women have been charged with leading police on a high-speed chase after stealing from a retail store in the west Chicago suburb of Villa Park.
A woman has been charged with attacking four people at a CTA bus stop in the Lawndale neighborhood, including a woman she allegedly slashed with a broken beer bottle after threatening that woman's mother.
Three teens have been charged with sexually assaulting a classmate this past summer at a graduation party for St. Viator High School students.
