Chicago
Bears
0-0
73
FINAL
56
Carolina
Panthers
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 1 matchup of the 2026 season, the Chicago Bears triumphed over the Carolina Panthers with a final score of 73-56. With both teams looking to make an early statement, the Bears showcased their offensive firepower, setting the stage for what promises to be an electrifying season.
Leading the charge for Chicago was quarterback Caleb Williams, who put on a dazzling performance with 581 passing yards and eight touchdown passes, along with 103 rushing yards. His favorite target, Chris Brazzell II, was unstoppable, racking up a staggering 299 receiving yards. This high-octane offense was too much for the Panthers to handle, as they consistently found ways to exploit defensive gaps.
Defensively, the Bears made key plays that shifted momentum, most notably with linebacker Devin Bush intercepting three passes, which proved critical in stifling Carolina's scoring opportunities. The Panthers' Jaelan Phillips did his part with two sacks, but it was the Bears' ability to force turnovers that ultimately sealed the victory. Chicago's defense stepped up when it mattered, allowing their explosive offense to thrive and secure the win.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caleb Williams | QB | 49 | 22 | 45% | 581 | 8 | 4 | 94.4 |
| Bryce Young | QB | 34 | 18 | 53% | 485 | 6 | 6 | 98.2 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caleb Williams | QB | 12 | 103 | 8.6 | 9 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Bryce Young | QB | 3 | 41 | 13.7 | — | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Trevor Etienne | HB | 4 | 11 | 2.8 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| D'Andre Swift | HB | 3 | 10 | 3.3 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | — | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Zavion Thomas | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris Brazzell II | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Brazzell II | WR | 8 | 299 | 37.4 | 42 | 5 | 65 | 0 |
| Luther Burden III | WR | 8 | 213 | 26.6 | 72 | 2 | 53 | 0 |
| Xavier Legette | WR | 5 | 159 | 31.8 | 76 | 3 | 75 | 0 |
| Rome Odunze | WR | 5 | 99 | 19.8 | 4 | 2 | 54 | 0 |
| Zavion Thomas | WR | 3 | 88 | 29.3 | 26 | 1 | 58 | 0 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 4 | 86 | 21.5 | 51 | 1 | 35 | 0 |
| D'Andre Swift | HB | 3 | 51 | 17.0 | 35 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Colston Loveland | TE | 3 | 44 | 14.7 | 12 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| Tommy Tremble | TE | 1 | 27 | 27.0 | 4 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devin Bush | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Malik Muhammad II | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaelan Phillips | LEDG | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tyrel Dodson | WILL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Kyler Gordon | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Tre'von Moehrig | FS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Nick Scott | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Lee III | CB | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| JT Woods | FS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Benford | CB | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyrique Stevenson Sr | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Montez Sweat | LEDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ed Oliver | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaycee Horn | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Isaiah Simmons | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devin Lloyd | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dillon Thieneman | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bobby Okereke | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chau Smith-Wade | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kaiir Elam | FS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Fitzgerald | K | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Cairo Santos | K | 1 | 1 | 10 | 23 |

