Bears Rout Panthers 59-37; Johnson Eyes Scoring Record — SkimNews
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- Bears crushed the Panthers 59-37 in Week 1, scoring the fourth-most points in franchise history while the 96 combined points set a record for most ever in a season opener
- Ben Johnson doubled down on his offseason goal of breaking the 2013 Broncos' single-season scoring record (37.9 points per game), saying his team "didn't get into this profession trying to be mediocre or average"
- D'Andre Swift rushed for 124 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries, while Kyle Monangai added 100 yards and a score; the Bears totaled 552 yards (third-most in the Super Bowl era) with five different players scoring touchdowns
- Carolina's run defense, rebuilt with $162 million in offseason spending on Jaelan Phillips ($120M) and Devin Lloyd ($42M), surrendered 291 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 39 carries
- Caleb Williams posted his first career multi-rushing-TD game, going 21-of-29 for 269 yards and two passing TDs, and scrambled for a 29-yard score before halftime
- Bryce Young threw for 361 yards, three touchdowns and one interception for Carolina, but the Bears committed 12 penalties and fumbled on their opening drive — miscues Williams dismissed because "we've got each other's back"
Why it matters: Johnson's "highest-scoring offense ever" goal now has Week 1 proof: 552 yards and five touchdown scorers validate the offseason hype, but 12 penalties and a sloppy start show how far Chicago still is from the 2013 Broncos' record. Meanwhile, Carolina's $162 million Phillips-Lloyd investment failed immediately, surrendering 291 rushing yards and six ground scores.
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