Bears hold off Panthers' final effort to collect third win in low-scoring bout

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It was a battle of two NFL teams at the bottom of the barrel on Thursday night, but the Chicago Bears don't mind picking up its third win of the season as they defeated the Carolina Panthers, 16-13.

The Bears are now 3-7 on the season, while the Panthers fall to 1-8 as their struggles under new head coach Frank Reich continue. 

This low-scoring bout began with two straight punts, one from each team. However, the third punt led to this game’s first points, and it wasn't cheers coming from the Solider Field faithful. 

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D'Onta Foreman #21 of the Chicago Bears celebrates after a touchdown during the third quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Soldier Field on November 09, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Quinn Harris/Getty Images)

Moans and groans showered the field.

Ihmir Smith-Marsette was back deep in the Panthers’ zone awaiting the punt from the Bears' Trenton Gill. After catching it clean, Smith-Marsette avoided a few tackles that delivered some daylight to run through. 

After shimmying past another defender, Smith-Marsette had a clear path toward the end zone with only Gill to beat. And that’s exactly what he did, shedding the tackle and getting into the end zone for a 79-yard touchdown. 

It’s the second primetime game in a row a punt return kicked off the scoring, as the Los Angeles Chargers did so to the New York Jets on Monday night. 

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Rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent, getting his fourth career start in place of the injured Justin Fields, and the Bears were able to respond with a field goal