They come home to a favorite by more than a field goal, against a defense that struggles poorly against the run and to keep teams from scoring in general. The Rams were 3 1/2 point underdogs last week and the Bears offense faced a battered and collapsing Rams defense in that offense.

On the other side of the ball, the Bears will see their former quarterback, Andy Dalton, this week. It’s another skilled pocket passer in Matthew Stafford, but not as skilled, and he has a capable running back next to him in Chuba Hubbard, just like the Rams did last week in Kyren Williams.

It’s as close to a repeating game as possible when the opponents wear different uniforms.

Even some of the offense Dave Canales uses is similar to what the Bears saw from the Rams last week and what they’re using themselves because the Panthers coach spent most of his time in Seattle the last two years of that stretch when Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron arrived with Sean McVay’s offense. And the Bears faced McVay last week.

BRINGING THE BEST AND FANTASY FOOTBALL FAVORITES

So the Bears will get another chance to beat a struggling team with a downtrodden defense at Soldier Field Sunday at noon. Here’s who wins and why.

Bears run vs. panthers run defense

There is a mismatch here, provided Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron lets it happen with his play-calling and doesn’t become too predictable. The loss of their two starting linebackers Josey Jewell and Shaq Thompson is a major blow to a defense that is already ranked 29th. The Bears just got D’Andre Swift rolling last week and rediscovered Roschon Johnson. They might even get Khalil Herbert involved this week now that Johnson and Swift have performed better. Edge for bears

Bears Passing vs. Panthers Pass Defense

At first glance, Caleb Williams against Carolina’s secondary would seem like an even match. But the loss of these two linebackers leaves the short middle of the field exposed and is where Cole Kmet and Keenan Allen could be used extensively, not to mention the Bears’ running backs. And Williams showed last week that he has learned the art of the checkdown. What’s stopping Williams from rushing downfield with the throw? The Panthers have five sacks on the year, and only one player with more than one: 3-4 defensive end and Jayden Peevy with 1 1/2. They gave up nine TD passes and fifteen total TDs. Williams should be able to step into his throws and win in the field with DJ Moore and Rome Odunze. Edge for bears

Panthers run vs. Bears run defense

Normally this would mean a stalemate because Chuba Hubbard has been effective, but last year the Bears scored No. 1 against the run. While the Bears are capable of producing tackles for loss and filling out Carolina’s running game, they need to prove they can still do it. They haven’t, as they’ve allowed 119 yards or more in three of their four games. And Carolina strengthened its offensive line this past year. Edge for Panthers

THREE KEYS TO WIN BEARS INCLUDE FLAG FREE DAY

WHY A QUARTER OF A GAME OR SEASON DOESN’T DECIDE ANYTHING FOR BEARS

BEARS IN AN UNKNOWN SITUATION WHICH RUN DEFENSE IS UNDERSTANDING

BEARS HAVE BEEN SHOWN A WAY FORWARD IN THE NFC NORTH

Panthers passing vs. Bears passing defense

Dalton can still be a very effective passer if he is given time to throw and if his receivers are open early in the short passing game. He faces the best secondary the Panthers have fielded this year, second in the league in passer rating against and third in interceptions. They also have a surging pass rush that doesn’t need to blitz to create pressure, but uses it effectively when they do. Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen are formidable receivers, but Jaylon Johnson seems to be able to take any receiver off their game and the other cornerbacks have followed suit. No border

Special teams

The Bears have bottom-up punter Tory Taylor, the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week, but Panthers punter Johnny Hekker has been an unorthodox punting force in the league for years and sometimes even likes to add the element of punt-faking to it to . Cairo Santos was an upgrade for the Bears over their former kicker, Eddy Pineiro, who is now Carolina’s kicker. But Pineiro, like Santos, is now growing in the league and they are closer in ability than you might think. Pineiro has missed just six field goals since leaving Chicago after missing five in his lone Bears season. Both teams were similar in the return game and Bears punt returner DeAndre Carter is doubtful coming into the game with bruised ribs. They would have a big challenge coming up with another stair returner that they can have confidence in if they can’t use it. No border

Coaching

Time on task is a phrase Matt Eberflus likes to talk about and he has this with his defense and its members who use his scheme. It’s the only stable element in this game, as Carolina’s defense has been completely toppled personnel-wise under coordinator Ejiro Evero from the group they had last year when they finished fourth in defense. They are having a hard time. The problem for the Bears is that Shane Waldron has shown in the first three weeks that he is capable of looking beyond what they need to do well and trying a little bit of everything on offense. That doesn’t work in the NFL, where something has to be established before we can move on to something else, and Waldron should have learned this. Edge for bears

Intangible assets

The Bears have won seven in a row at Soldier Field, starting with their win over Carolina last year. No other NFL team has had a winning streak on its home field that long. It is a pattern worth repeating and relying on as a favorite. Edge for bears

Final score: Bears 26, Panthers 16

If the Bears had their offense fine-tuned and Caleb Williams with a few more games of experience as the starter, this could have been a blowout. But they haven’t progressed far enough to do more than win comfortably as four-point favorites and go 3-2 heading to London. If this ends in a sad loss at home, it’s a very bad sign for Matt Eberflus and Co.

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