The Chicago Bears will play their second Thursday night game of the season, welcoming the Carolina Panthers to Soldier Field. The teams were partners in the early March trade that sent the No. 1 pick to Carolina in exchange for wide receiver DJ Moore and four other draft selections.

Now the Bears and Panthers, with a combined 3-15 record, will meet on the field in a prime-time clash. As kickoff nears, here’s our snapshot look at Thursday’s game.

Player in the spotlight

DJ Moore

The last time Moore played on a Thursday night, he owned the stage. Eight catches, 230 yards, three touchdowns in a blowout of the Washington Commanders. It was an explosive outing that represented just how good Moore can be and how valuable he is to the Bears offense.

This Thursday night show at Soldier Field comes against Moore’s former team, with the 26-year-old receiver predictably downplaying the reunion and dismissing the idea he’ll have extra motivation.

“The extra juice comes from Thursday night but not them,” Moore said Wednesday. “I mean, it’s going to be good to go against them. I’ve been looking forward to it. But we still have a thing to accomplish and get this win.”

Bears wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert, though, believes a little extra will be burning inside Moore.

“I expect him to play well,” Tolbert said. “Listen, anytime a player or coach goes against a team they used to play for or work for, there’s always that extra incentive to show them who they are. I don’t think DJ is any different. He’d go out there and play his best regardless of the opponent. I just think there will be a little extra to go out and play well against a team you just left.”

Since the eruption against the Commanders last month, Moore has totaled 20 catches and 204 yards without a touchdown in the last four outings. Last week in New Orleans, he had only three grabs for 44 yards and lost a fumble.

Moore knows the Bears need him to produce at a higher level Thursday to propel a winning effort. That will require him to continue improving his chemistry with rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent. Moore emphasized Wednesday that he hasn’t spent much time looking in the rearview mirror since the Panthers traded him.

“I don’t have hard feelings about being here,” he said. “I’m loving it here. We’re going to get this thing turned around and that’s going to be the best of it.”

Pressing question

Does Tyson Bagent have another winning effort in him with Justin Fields still sidelined?

The rookie quarterback left the Superdome feeling low, understandably so after his four turnovers torpedoed the Bears’ upset bid in a 24-17 loss to the Saints. Two interceptions plus a lost fumble in the fourth quarter alone left Bagent discouraged. But his self-assessment improved after he watched the video of all 68 of his snaps.

“When you throw three picks, you leave the field pretty disgusted with yourself,” Bagent said. “But then you look at the film and you realize that, man, for 45 minutes, 48 minutes, I was playing pretty good. We were operating very well. So just clean up those last 12 minutes and I think there’s a different outcome to the game and I’d probably feel a little different leaving the stadium.”

Ball security will be an obvious emphasis Thursday. But Bagent also must effectively manage the game and should have the luxury of leaning on his running attack. The Panthers have a bottom-five rushing defense, allowing 131.8 yards per game. Six players have amassed at least 75 rushing yards against Carolina this season, including two who went over 100: the Detroit Lions’ David Montgomery and the Miami Dolphins’ Raheem Mostert.

D’Onta Foreman, a former Panther, is eager to do his part. He had 120 total yards and three touchdowns the last time the Bears played at Soldier Field in a Week 7 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Foreman gushed Wednesday at how well the offensive line has played in recent weeks.

“Man, those guys have been amazing with the way they’re moving guys off the ball and really creating space,” he said. “That’s a testament to who we are, what we do and how physical we can be. Now we just stay the course.”

Keep an eye on …

Bryce Young

The Panthers selected the former Alabama quarterback with the No. 1 pick they acquired from the Bears, and Young has struggled through his first seven starts, compiling a 77.1 passer rating, .639 completion percentage and 196 passing yards per start. He has thrown eight touchdown passes while committing nine turnovers.

The Bears did their pre-draft homework on Young as they at least explored the idea of drafting a quarterback. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy offered a thumbnail of his scouting report on Young after extensive film study and a visit to Alabama’s pro day.

“We were very impressed with him,” Getsy said. “His accuracy was easy. That’s the thing that stood out for the kid. No matter (whether) it was down the field, under 20 yards or under 10 yards, (he showed) the ability to get the ball out quick. He showed a lot of the cool things you’re looking for in a guy to be a natural passer.”

Added Bears quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko: “He was an accurate son of a gun. He was somebody who was a winner. Smart. He was on time. He knew what he had to do on each play. He had a really good understanding of the game and everything going on around him.”

Young’s size — he’s listed at 5-foot-10 and 204 pounds — was the biggest knock on him coming out of college, and that has presented challenges as he acclimates to the NFL. He has been sacked 26 times and missed the Week 3 game against the Seattle Seahawks with an ankle injury.

Young has developed notable chemistry with veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen, who ranks sixth in the NFL with 62 catches.

“This guy knows how to get open,” Bears safeties coach Andre Curtis said. “He knows how to find holes. He knows how to read coverages. For a young quarterback to find that safety, with him knowing where he’s going to be when he needs to be there, that’s key. The young quarterback has trust in him and he’s delivered.”

Go fourth and conquer

Over the last two seasons, the Bears are 1-10 in one-score games and have been outscored 76-40 in the fourth quarter of those games, evidence of their inability to flourish in critical moments.

Last week the Bears entered the fourth quarter tied at 17 but turned the ball over on three of their four possessions in the quarter and left the Superdome with a 24-17 loss.

Tight end Cole Kmet is tired of humming the same tune: “It’s tough. I’ve been talking about it since last year. We have to be able to break through.”

Kmet takes pride in the strides the Bears offense has made this season, ranking in the top 10 in third-down conversion rate (seventh, 44.1%), red-zone efficiency (seventh, 64%) and rushing offense (fourth, 135.3 yards per game).

“You look at those three things and it’s like, OK, those are the three keys to your success as an offense,” Kmet said.

But the Bears also rank last in turnovers (18) and have been penalized 41 times on offense. Now they have to find their finishing touch down the stretch of games.

“We’ve been losing in a lot of different ways,” Kmet said. “Now we have to find a way to get it done.”

If Thursday’s game remains close in the late stages, the Bears will need someone — ideally multiple someones — to make a big play in a big moment. This group can’t continue to boast that it’s “close” without providing evidence of a potential emergence, particularly in a home game against a reeling opponent.

Injury report

Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds will miss his second consecutive game with a knee injury, one of four players the Bears declared out for Thursday’s game. The others are guard Nate Davis (ankle), cornerback Terell Smith (mononucleosis) and fullback Khari Blasingame (concussion).

Quarterback Justin Fields (right thumb) is listed as doubtful, and running back Khalil Herbert (ankle), wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown (hamstring) and cornerback Josh Blackwell (hamstring) are questionable as all three players eye a possible return from injured reserve.

For the Panthers, standout outside linebacker Brian Burns (concussion and elbow) is out. Burns leads the team with five sacks. Also out are wide receiver Laviska Shenault (ankle), cornerback C.J. Henderson (concussion) and tight end Stephen Sullivan (shoulder). Other notables on the injury report are wide receiver D.J. Chark (doubtful, elbow) and safety Vonn Bell (questionable, quadriceps).

Predictions

Brad Biggs (5-4)

One thing Matt Eberflus and his staff did this season was get the Bears ready for a Thursday night game in Week 5 at Washington. While this game has very little appeal to a national television audience, it’s must-view material for those hoping the Panthers’ first-round draft pick — which the Bears own — turns into the No. 1 selection. It’s also an opportunity to see Bryce Young, whom the Panthers chose with the No. 1 pick the Bears traded. Carolina comes in beat up without edge rusher Brian Burns (concussion), and Tyson Bagent shouldn’t be challenged with as many tight-window throws as he faced Sunday in New Orleans. It might not be pretty, but the Bears will find a way to prevail.

Bears 23, Panthers 17

Colleen Kane (5-4)

This looks like a prime opportunity for the Bears to put together one of those feel-good, complete team victories. A defense that gave the Bears a chance to win against the Saints could build on that performance — and maybe its sacks and takeaways totals too — against Panthers quarterback Bryce Young. If Tyson Bagent minimizes mistakes and the Bears ride their running game against a Panthers defense that ranks 28th against the run, they can quickly put the collapse at the Superdome behind them and head into the mini-bye feeling better about where they are.

Bears 24, Panthers 17

Dan Wiederer (6-3)

Tyson Bagent gets at least one more start and will have a golden opportunity for a bounce-back game against a Panthers defense that will be without its best player in Brian Burns. Bagent will have to show much better ball security but should continue to get quality support from a reliable running attack and an improving defense. The Bears can double-dip with a victory plus the resulting improvement of their draft status via the first-round pick they obtained from the Panthers in March.

Bears 27, Panthers 19

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