CHICAGO — With injuries stacking up on defense, the Panthers have a shrinking margin of error.

It continued to get smaller on Sunday.

With outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney leaving in the second quarter with a shoulder injury as one of many injuries, the Panthers fell 36-10 to the Bears at Soldier Field.

The Panthers were already without captains Derrick Brown and Shaq Thompson (on injured reserve), and inside linebacker Josey Jewell was inactive because of hamstring and groin injuries.

Perhaps not coincidentally, the Bears raced out to a 27-7 lead at halftime, stacking up 289 yards of total offense in the process. (The Bears averaged 253.0 yards per game in their first four games.)

With so many missing pieces, the remaining Panthers had to play perfectly, and they didn't Sunday.

While the Bears were running wild in the first half, the Panthers were 0-of-6 on third-down conversions, further taxing a depleted defense. After the Bears went on a 13-play touchdown drive, the Panthers responded with a three-and-out on the next possession, which is the opposite of complementary football.

They turned the ball over three times, and were involved in a fight after a late Bears touchdown that underscored the frustrations of the day. Jaycee Horn was ejected late in the fourth quarter.

The Panthers had Bryce Young finish it up after the Bears went up 36-10, and he hit a few balls downfield, before his drive was ended with a sack on fourth down. He was 4-of-7 for 58 yards passing,

Andy Dalton was 18-of-28 for 136 yards and an interception, a struggle after two strong performances against the Raiders and Bengals.

— About those injuries. They stacked up to the point of being ridiculous, with five starters leaving the game, including Clowney.

Veteran right tackle Taylor Moton didn't return in the second half because of an elbow injury, ending an ironman streak that began in 2018. He had taken 6,758 consecutive snaps entering this week's game, or 103 straight starts without missing a single snap. He was replaced by veteran backup Yosh Nijman.

Center Austin Corbett left in the third quarter with a biceps injury, did not return, and he was replaced by Brady Christensen.

Tight end Tommy Tremble was evaluated for a concussion after taking a nasty shot in the first half, and he did not return.

Rookie wideout Xavier Legette left late in the first half with a shoulder injury and did not return.

Outside linebacker DJ Johnson left in the third quarter. That left the Panthers with just veteran Charles Harris, Tarron Jackson, and Thomas Incoomat that moment. Johnson was able to return, which was the first bit of good news, but he was also involved in the ugly fight near the end, and was penalized.

— As it turns out, this is a windy city. That made it hard for both teams to kick.

Bears kicker Cairo Santos missed an extra point late in the second quarter (basically, the only thing that went wrong for them in the first half).

And Eddy Piñeiro had a chance to get one back just before halftime, but his attempt from 45 in the other direction was pushed wide left.

The breeze swirls in this building, with flags pointing in opposite directions on opposite ends of the field a common sight.