In today's article, we'll discuss the difference between a "close" game and a "good" game. Last night's game was close, in that neither team led by more than a touchdown at any point. It wasn't good, in that the odds of either team scoring a touchdown seemed remote for most of the night.

QUARTERBACKS

I wrote an article spinning some optimistic things about the long-term future of Tyson Bagent this week. I don't know that last night's game really helped. We knew coming in that Carolina was a lot weaker defending the run (28th) than pass (3rd), and the Bears leaned into that, featuring the ground game and not passing much at all and especially not attempting many throws downfield. The result was a 162-yard passing game that makes the eyes ache for the return of Justin Fields, which will probably be next week. Any positive things to say about Bagent involve not taking any sacks and not turning it over, a very un-Fields like performance in that respect. But he also didn't throw any touchdowns and produced strictly dull, methodical drives that ended in field goals. Everyone who started Cairo Santos (anyone?) is happy today.

I'm going to try to talk about Bryce Young without mentioning how small he is. Oops, too late. But it's a problem, apparent whenever they drop him straight back and there's suddenly a towering semi-circle of his own linemen surrounded by the opposing defensive linemen around him. It's understandable that it's difficult for him to spot his receivers, plus these are guys not getting much separation, so there seem to be a lot of throws that are easily broken up. They've got to figure out some ways to move him around or roll him out, like when Kyler Murray was having success in Arizona. Because what they're doing isn't working and isn't going to work. Young is averaging 5.4 yards per attempt on the season. He's actually throwing the ball a ton, averaging over 36 passes per game, but he's been under 200 yards four times and under 220 twice. Adam Thielen was visibly frustrated on a couple of occasions.

Not too long ago Frank Reich seemed to be working wonders, as an offensive coordinator with the Eagles and for a couple of years as a head coach with the Colts. I'm not sure it's going to happen for him in Carolina, and I no longer have confidence that he's the guy who will get Young's career off the ground. Last night was arguably the least competent pass defense he'll face the rest of the season, and other than one long completion (set up by a nice play-action fake), the passing game did essentially nothing. (That play, to former Colt Mike Strahan, in the first game he's been active all season, should have been repeated a few times against this secondary.) Carolina ran I believe 3 plays in the red zone. Thielen looks like the only usable component of the passing game, and even he doesn't look as promising right now as he did a few weeks ago.

In the final two minutes, right before Carolina attempted a 59-yard tying field goal that was about 10 yards too short, Young had a first and 10 at the Chicago 41. First play, he had Hayden Hurst wide open about 15 yards downfield and threw an uncatchable ball; under some pressure, but a makeable throw. Second play, he took a deep shot for Jonathan Mingo, who had half a step but turned the wrong way, or the throw was in the wrong spot; hard to say for sure. Third play, he targeted Thielen but didn't see the defender sitting on the route who should have picked it off. I feel like Young should have made one of those plays and we'd have at least had overtime (not that anyone wanted that game to be any longer).

RUNNING BACKS

You were warned about Chuba Hubbard, but even we didn't imagine 9 carries for just 23 yards. Worse was that he caught just 2 passes for 16 yards, with Miles Sanders and Raheem Blackshear and also catching 1-2 passes. Hubbard just isn't very good, but the Bears defense is playing very sound football against the run, and Carolina's passing game is so unthreatening it was not hard for the defense to sell out against the run. Even if Hubbard were better, he didn't have much of a chance.

Patience is a virtue in fantasy football. So the fact that I had the prescience to roster or draft D'Onta Foreman in a lot of my leagues last summer, thinking he might be a better runner than Khalil Herbert, really doesn't mean much since I dropped him early on when he was a healthy scratch as the No. 3. But a nice game for Foreman last night, and basically since stepping in for an injured Herbert, and I don't see how they can phase him out of offense once Herbert returns, probably next week. A committee backfield won't be good for anyone, though, that's the negative. Roschon Johnson has mostly shown well with his chances this year (not so much last night), but he's going to be the No. 3 and not usable. Maybe next year.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Were there any wide receivers playing last night? Adam Thielen actually finished with a much better stat line (6 for 42) than he exhibited for most of the evening. At halftime he was sitting at 3 catches for 8 yards. They couldn't get him open, Young couldn't see him, whatever, it wasn't happening. Troubling for those of us who have benefitted from his first half. Yes, Chicago's pass rush has been helped by the addition of Montez Sweat, but there were still opportunities and Carolina couldn't make any plays.

Jonathan Mingo caught 3 passes for 20 yards. As noted earlier, there was a deep look where he either turned the wrong way, didn't see it, or Young was off-target. But every other pass thrown his way was short, with minimal upside. Perhaps inactive DJ Chark would have helped, but Chark being hurt isn't exactly a surprising development; he's been healthy for one season of a six-year career.

Chicago also threw almost exclusively short passes, limiting the appeal of DJ Moore. A serviceable PPR game, but occasional 20-yard receptions or touchdowns are nice. None of the other wideouts on this roster have any value whatsoever, and that would be the case with Fields in the lineup, too.

TIGHT ENDS

Back in Week 1, Hayden Hurst somehow caught 5 passes for 41 yards and a touchdown. That was the time to trade him, evidently, since in his last 8 games he's caught a total of 13 passes for an average of 18 yards, with no touchdowns. Tommy Tremble has caught 2 touchdowns in that time, and he has no value, either.

Cole Kmet has been a nice option at the position. Particularly with Bagent in the lineup the last three weeks, but he also lit up the Broncos and Commanders with Fields at quarterback. They even used him on a short-yardage carry last night, which hopefully for those of who have him they'll try at the goal line sometime.

MISCELLAENOUS

So it was an awful game, and I think a depressing one if you're a Carolina fan. Too early to give up on Young (there was a nice graphic showing how the other top pick quarterbacks started out their careers lately, plenty of 1-6 type starts) but let's review: he hasn't looked great, there's very little talent of any kind around him at the skill positions, and the Panthers gave away a bunch of early picks and their best wide receiver just to get into position to draft him. Yeah, that about covers it.

Carolina's only touchdown came on a punt return. It looked like a play that was badly defended and tackled rather than a sign of future punt returns to come (the Chargers TD to open the scoring against the Jets last week, in contrast, looked like it won't be the team's last in that regard).

I still have problems with what Chicago gave up to bring in Montez Sweat, but obviously he gives them some pass rush and toughness on the defensive line that was sorely needed. Granted they're just 2-7 so all that Sweat is really going to do for them this season is ensure they have a slightly better record and worse draft pick, but he gives the players some hope of a better future.

In general, a borderline unwatchable low-scoring game last night, but don't fret. We've got another coming up when the Jets travel to Las Vegas to face the Raiders Sunday night.