Time out from the political stuff to talk about one of my passions

Da Bearsssssssssssssssss -

Keys to a victory over Carolina are...

1. PLAY GREAT DEFENSE
The defense should benefit from the extra rest. And if the defense is at its best and playing with a frenzy, the Bears can beat anyone

2. RUN THE BALL
No doubt it would have been easier to run the ball against the Giants, but the Bears need to attack the Panthers the same way Carolina attacked the Giants.

3. PROTECT THE BALL
The Panthers have a plus-16 turnover differential for the season, third best in the NFL. Given Grossman's gunslinger mentality, he's more inclined to try to squeeze passes into tight spaces in the opponent's territory, and the Bears can't afford to lose so much as one field-goal opportunity.

4. CONTAIN STEVE SMITH
Smith has had monster games against every team, but the simple fact is he's the playmaker and touchdown producer for the Panthers, so you have to be aware of his on every play. Shut him down, and this offense stops.

5. CATCH THE BALL
Muhammad needs to be at his best in this game, as does every other Bears receiver. Kyle Orton enjoyed his best game as a pro in the first meeting, though it wasn't reflected in his passer rating because of Muhammad's drops and two others by Desmond Clark. Hopefully with Grossman back, our passing game will open up.