Panthers 31, Bears 24
Panthers 31, Bears 24: Cam Newton and Greg Olsen hooked up for a pair of touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with 2:18 remaining in the fourth quarter, as host Carolina rallied past Chicago.
Olsen grabbed six passes for 72 yards and the two scores while Chris Ogbonnaya added a rushing TD for the Panthers (3-2), who snapped their two-game skid. Newton was 19-of-35 for 255 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
Jay Cutler finished 28-of-36 for 289 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions while adding a rushing TD for the Bears (2-3), who committed turnovers on consecutive offensive plays - and their last three possessions - to fuel Carolina's fourth-quarter comeback. Matt Forte caught 12 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown while gaining 61 yards on 17 carries.
The Panthers opened the scoring when rookie Philly Brown returned a punt 79 yards to the end zone with 10:56 left in the first quarter, but Cutler sandwiched a 10-yard scoring pass to Forte and a 25-yard touchdown strike to Alshon Jeffery around a 10-yard TD scramble to give Chicago a 21-7 lead. Newton and Olsen hooked up for a 9-yard score with 12 seconds remaining in the second to cut the deficit in half.
Ogbonnaya, who was signed Tuesday to add depth to a depleted backfield, punched in a 1-yard TD to tie it with 7:16 left in the third, but the Bears moved back in front on Robbie Gould's 45-yard field goal with 2:38 to go in the quarter. Graham Gano's 44-yard kick tied it again and Forte's fumble set up Newton's 6-yard scoring strike to Olsen before Kawann Short sacked Cutler and forced a fumble on fourth-and-21 to seal it.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The Bears outgained the Panthers 347-321 but are 0-3 when registering more total yards than their opponent and 2-0 when they are outgained. … Chicago has committed 10 turnovers in its three losses. … The Panthers committed only three turnovers in their first four games but matched that total Sunday.