Views from 400’s Week 10 Thursday Night Football Roundtable

Week 10 of the NFL season gets underway on Thursday night with a matchup that may make Al Michaels fall asleep by the second quarter.

The 2-7 Chicago Bears host the 1-7 Carolina Panthers tonight, and all I can really say is “ugh”.

As will be the case every Thursday during the NFL season, the guys from Section 400 are here to give their takes on the game.

Here is what Section 400 writers Brian Hauch, Jack Albanese, and Matt Kolen are thinking heading into this battle of horrible teams.

See you in my Nightmares.

We’ve harped on the uncanny amount of bad games this NFL season has produced on the podcast. This one fits the bill. Why should I bother watching tonight?

BH: Tyson Bagent is kind of fun. The former Division II standout has a gunslinger mentality but his arm is weaker than my ability to hold a sneeze.

MK: You shouldn’t bother. The only reason to watch this game is if you’re betting on it. Maybe I will dial up a Same Game Parlay or just bet my favorite straight bet, but if you aren’t betting there is absolutely no reason to watch tonight.

JA: Panthers at Bears… Yikes. I’ll watch because I love ball, but I can’t blame the average fan for skipping out on tonight’s game.

The Show Goes On.

It’s only been 9 weeks, but it looks like Carolina traded up for the wrong quarterback in last year’s draft. Do you have faith in Bryce Young to figure it out?

BH: It’s still so early, but wow, Carolina looks like they screwed the pooch, or panther, on this one. C.J. Stroud is already a bona fide star. In our last roundtable, I put him in my top 10 quarterbacks. He may be in my top 5 in a few weeks.

MK: They whiffed on that pick. CJ Stroud is the clear top guy out of that draft and honestly, I feel like it wasn’t that hard to see. I was always high on Stroud coming out of Ohio State and believed Bryce Young wasn’t a great NFL prospect. This year has proved me right so far.

JA: It’s too early to tell. Stroud has been better overall through the first half of the season, but I still have faith Bryce Young will develop into a franchise quarterback down the road. Stroud was the more finished product coming out of school so the early success makes sense. The Texans are also a much better team than the Panthers.

All We Got.

The Bears could have two top 5 picks in the upcoming draft (Their own and the Panthers). Who do they need to draft to help turn things around in Chicago?

BH: The Bears have a lot of work to do. The Chicago defense ranks in the bottom three in PPG allowed (26.9) and we know about the struggles of Justin Fields and the offense. The trade-then-signing of Montez Sweat was a good start, but general manager Ryan Poles still has a ton of holes to fill. The Bears need to find any way they can to draft Caleb Williams, and then I would trade the other pick for more draft capital.

MK: Three words, offensive line help. If Chicago can get Caleb Williams and then someone to protect him I think that is a good move. They’ll then have to hit the free agent market for a solid veteran pass catcher to complement DJ Moore. That’ll at least begin the turnaround in my opinion.

JA: The Chicago Bears are a cursed franchise as far as I’m concerned. They need a true savior to turn things around, much like Trevor Lawrence did for my Jags. (DUUVALLL) They’re in need of new talent across the board, but it starts with the most important position in sports, a quarterback. I have seen enough of Justin Fields and would go as far as to say I’d much rather have Bryce Young right now.

Gotta Have it.

I’m so sorry to do this, but I need your favorite bet tonight.

BH: I’ve taken the over in the Panthers game the last two weeks and they’ve failed me both times. The third time is a charm. I’ll hop on the over 38.5 points.

MK: Bears Kicker Cairo Santos is scoring over 5.5 fantasy points (you can play this as over 1.5 field goals as well. The Bears should hit two field goals with ease in this one.

JA: I’ve been a square with most of my bets. (I love me some unders) I’m going to get crazy tonight. My offical play is Adam Thielen ATD (+165) but I’m also going to sprinkle a half unit on Bryce Young 3+ Passing TDs (+800) for the value.

Final Score.

BH: Bears win it, 24-20

MK: Bears win ugly, 16-13

JA: I’ll be the lone wolf, screw it. Panthers win on the road, 26-23.