Caleb Williams and Bears trounce Panthers 59-37 in highest-scoring season opener in NFL history

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Ben Johnson said he slept well Saturday night at the Bears' team hotel, sensing that quarterback Caleb Williams was more than ready for the season opener.

Chicago's coach had good instincts.

Williams, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, looked like a league MVP candidate on Sunday, throwing for 269 yards and two touchdowns and running for 65 yards and two more scores as the Bears trounced the Carolina Panthers 59-37 in the highest-scoring season opener in NFL history.

“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 said. “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.”

Johnson's prolific Bears broke a franchise record for points in an opener, a mark that had stood since 1948, when Chicago hung 45 points on Green Bay at Wrigley Field.

The 59 points were the most allowed by the Panthers since they began play as an expansion team in 1995.

D'Andre Swift, who received a $33.75 million contract extension earlier this week, paid immediate dividends for the Bears, rushing for 124 yards on 18 carries with three touchdowns, while Kyle Monangai had 100 yards on the ground, including a 61-yard touchdown burst in the second half.

“He's had a good week, huh?” Johnson said of Swift. “He earned (the contract), every step of it. We really value what he brings to the table. He has had a great spring and I don't think anybody in our camp is surprised he is out of the gate in strong fashion.”

It was the fourth-most points in Bears history. The most came in their notorious 73-0 win over Washington in the 1940 NFL title game.

“That's how we want to look each week,” Williams said. “That's who we want to be each week.”

Chicago and Carolina scored eight more points than the previous record of 88 set in Tampa Bay’s 48-40 win over New Orleans in 2018.

Although Carolina's Bryce Young fell to 0-4 in openers, it was by far the best season debut of his career. The 2023 No. 1 overall pick threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for a score.

Jalen Coker, who emerged as Carolina's No. 2 receiver last year, had eight catches for a career-high 138 yards and two TDs.

But the Panthers were done in three turnovers — a muffed punt by Jimmy Horn, a fumble by Tetairoa McMillan fumble and a pick by Young — and a leaky defense that committed untimely penalties.

The Bears put up 552 yards on offense and had 26 first downs. They were 10 of 14 on third-down conversions.

“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.”

The Bears turned the ball over on their first possession, but quickly recovered and scored seven touchdowns on their next 12 drives, including the final four possessions to close the game.

Williams showed pure command, completing several pinpoint passes while racking up 196 yards through the air in the first half, including a perfectly placed 22-yard touchdown strike to Cole Kmet.

“He couldn't have put ball in a better spot and Cole made a heck of a catch there, too,” Johnson said.

He also showed the elusiveness that makes him hard to contain. He ran for 52 yards and two TDs — including a 29-yard scamper — before the break as the Bears took a 31-24 lead into the locker room.

Bears shrug off a fourth-down try that went wrong

Chicago's lead might have been bigger had it not been for a questionable decision by Johnson.

With the Bears leading 21-14, Johnson went for it on fourth-and-1 at the Chicago 21, but Williams came up short on a QB sneak.

“I felt pretty about the call,” Johnson said.

In the end, it didn't matter. Mistakes ended the Panthers' hopes in the second half.

After Chuba Hubbard scored his second TD to tie the game at 31-all, Carolina defensive end Derrick Brown was flagged for a late hit on Williams, allowing a drive to continue. That led to Swift's 1-yard TD run.

The Panthers went for it on fourth down near midfield on their next possession but Young couldn't connect with McMillan on a lofted pass down the left sideline. Chicago cashed in on the next play as Monangai broke through a hole in the middle and raced 61 yards for a 45-31 lead — a play that Williams called his favorite of the game.

“That's a crushing thing when you're in that situation when you are midfield and you get a downhill run like that,” Williams said.

On Carolina's next drive, McMillan fumbled, giving the Bears the ball back. Williams cashed in with a scoring strike to a wide-open Jahdea Walker for a 52-31 lead with 6:27 remaining.

Injuries

Bears: LT Braxton Jones left late in the third quarter with an upper-body injury. CB Tyrique Stevenson injured his shoulder. Neither appeared to be serious.