If the Bears can beat the lowly Panthers at home on Sunday, they will have a winning record at their last point of the season since 2021, when they were 3-2 for five weeks – and immediately lost five games in a row.

Here are three keys to beating the Panthers:

Stop running

The Bears touted the Panthers’ run game all week, featuring running back Chuba Hubbard and an offensive line that ranks third in the NFL in salary cap dollars spent through 2024. The Panthers are averaging 108.5 rushing yards per game , which ranks 19the in the N.F.L. It’s far more dangerous than a passing attack that averages 182.5 yards, which is ninth-fewest in the league.

Bombs away

Williams went 15-for-15 on passes of less than 10 yards in last week’s win against the Rams. We can’t stress this enough: That’s a good thing for a quarterback learning how to move the chains every which way.

However, the Bears should at least threaten the Panthers deep. Pro Football Focus has given Williams the worst grade of all starting quarterbacks in the NFL on passes of 20 yards or more. He has completed just 3 of 22 passes for 188 yards and three interceptions.

Take care of business

In four games this season, the Bears have defeated the two teams they were favored and lost two games as underdogs. The Bears are four-point favorites against the Panthers, a margin that may be the largest they claim all year. The only other candidate right now: the Patriots on Nov. 10 at Soldier Field.