The Chicago Bears beat the Carolina Panthers 59-37 at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday, September 13, in the highest-scoring season opener in NFL history. The 96 combined points were eight more than the previous record of 88, set when Tampa Bay beat New Orleans 48-40 in 2018.
Chicago's 59 points also broke a franchise record for a season opener that had stood since 1948, when the Bears scored 45 on Green Bay at Wrigley Field. It was the fourth-highest total in Bears history; the highest remains the 73-0 win over Washington in the 1940 NFL title game. For Carolina, it was the most points the franchise has allowed since it began play as an expansion team in 1995.
Caleb Williams produced 334 yards and four touchdowns
Williams, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft, threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 65 yards and two more scores, finishing with 334 total yards and a 124.1 passer rating, per the Bears' own game recap. He had 196 passing yards by halftime, including a 22-yard touchdown to Cole Kmet, and ran for 52 yards and two scores before the break, among them a 29-yard scramble that put Chicago up 31-24 at the half.
Bears coach Ben Johnson said he had expected the performance. "I could kind of tell (Saturday) night when we did our quarterback meeting one last time that he was just on top of it," Johnson told reporters, according to the Associated Press. "Everything he was rattling out, like where my eyes need to be and what I'm thinking. ... So I went to bed and just slept really well."
"That's how we want to look each week," Williams said. "That's who we want to be each week."
D'Andre Swift scored three times days after a $33.75 million extension
D'Andre Swift, who signed a $33.75 million contract extension earlier in the week, rushed for 124 yards on 18 carries with three touchdowns. Rookie Kyle Monangai added 100 yards on the ground, including a 61-yard touchdown run that Williams called his favorite play of the game. Chicago finished with 552 total yards — 291 rushing and 261 passing — 26 first downs, eight touchdowns and a 10-for-14 mark on third down.
"He's had a good week, huh?" Johnson said of Swift. "He earned (the contract), every step of it."
Not every call worked. Leading 21-14, Johnson went for it on fourth-and-1 at his own 21 and Williams was stopped on a quarterback sneak. Johnson defended the decision afterward.
The game was tied four times before Chicago pulled away
The score was level at 7-7, 21-21, 24-24 and 31-31 before the Bears scored touchdowns on three consecutive possessions across a 7:38 span bridging the third and fourth quarters to go up 52-31. After Chuba Hubbard's second touchdown tied it at 31, Carolina defensive end Derrick Brown drew a late-hit penalty on Williams that extended a Bears drive, which ended in a 1-yard Swift touchdown. Carolina then failed on fourth down near midfield when Bryce Young could not connect with Tetairoa McMillan down the left sideline, and Monangai broke free for 61 yards on the next play to make it 45-31. McMillan fumbled on the following drive, and Williams hit an open Jahdae Walker for a 52-31 lead with 6:27 to play. After Young found Coker for an 8-yard touchdown, Swift's 28-yard touchdown run capped the scoring at 59-37.
Bryce Young's best opener still ended 0-4
Young threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another, posting a 110.3 passer rating in the best season debut of his career, but fell to 0-4 in openers. Jalen Coker caught eight passes for a career-high 138 yards and two touchdowns. Carolina was undone by three turnovers — a muffed punt by Jimmy Horn, McMillan's fumble and a Young interception — and by penalties.
"It was an incredible day by the Bears," Panthers coach Dave Canales said. "There were some things that we did to give a really good offense more opportunities. They don't need any more opportunities. They were already creating their own."
Chicago's defense gave up 478 total yards and 361 through the air, recording two sacks, by Montez Sweat and Kentavius Street, and three takeaways. Kickoff temperature in Charlotte was 89 degrees.
Bears left tackle Braxton Jones left late in the third quarter with an upper-body injury and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson hurt his shoulder; neither appeared serious. Panthers defensive tackle Bobby Brown left in the second half with a back injury.
Chicago hosts Minnesota next Sunday. Carolina travels to Atlanta. The Sunday slate followed the 49ers' 27-7 win over the Rams in the NFL's first regular-season game in Australia on September 12, and Bears-Panthers was one of the games flagged in our Games to Watch for Sunday, September 13. The season had opened four days earlier with the Super Bowl rematch previewed in Games to Watch for Wednesday, September 9.
Source: Associated Press
Comments