Chicago
Bears
0-0
20
FINAL
41
Carolina
Panthers
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a commanding display to kick off the 2026 season, the Carolina Panthers topped the Chicago Bears with a final score of 41-20. This victory not only sets the tone for Carolina's campaign but also serves as a reminder of their offensive firepower as they seek to make a playoff push this year.
Leading the charge for the Panthers was quarterback Bryce Young, who threw for an impressive 297 yards and three touchdowns, showcasing his ability to connect with his receivers. Tommy Tremble stood out as his primary target, racking up 107 receiving yards, while Chuba Hubbard contributed solidly on the ground with 61 rushing yards. Together, they forged a potent offensive attack that the Bears struggled to contain throughout the game.
Carolina's defense played a crucial role in securing the victory, with significant contributions from Nic Scourton, who recorded a sack, and Jaycee Horn, who snagged an interception. The turning point came in the third quarter when Horn's interception halted a potential Bears drive, allowing the Panthers to capitalize and extend their lead. Chicago's Dillon Thieneman led the Bears' defense with nine total tackles, but it wasn't enough to overcome the relentless pressure and playmaking from the Panthers' defense.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | YDS | TD | INT | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce Young | QB | 38 | 26 | 297 | 3 | 1 | 107.0 |
| Caleb Williams | QB | 36 | 16 | 169 | 2 | 3 | 42.4 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 14 | 61 | 4.4 | 2 | 13 | 0 |
| Joe Mixon | HB | 16 | 57 | 3.6 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| D'Andre Swift | HB | 9 | 40 | 4.4 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Bryce Young | QB | 4 | 16 | 4.0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Kyle Monangai | HB | 4 | 14 | 3.5 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Caleb Williams | QB | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Zavion Thomas | WR | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Colston Loveland | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tommy Tremble | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tommy Tremble | TE | 10 | 107 | 10.7 | 1 | 15 | 0 |
| Zavion Thomas | WR | 4 | 77 | 19.3 | 1 | 56 | 0 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 5 | 75 | 15.0 | 2 | 42 | 0 |
| Xavier Legette | WR | 4 | 68 | 17.0 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Colston Loveland | TE | 7 | 57 | 8.1 | 1 | 15 | 0 |
| Joe Mixon | HB | 5 | 31 | 6.2 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Scott Miller | WR | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Dont'e Thornton Jr | WR | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Chris Brazzell II | WR | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Mitchell Evans | TE | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Kyle Monangai | HB | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devin Bush | MIKE | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Dillon Thieneman | SS | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devin Lloyd | MIKE | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaylon Johnson | CB | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Jackson | CB | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Jaycee Horn | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Lewis | SS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trevin Wallace | WILL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nic Scourton | LEDG | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Coby Bryant | FS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaelan Phillips | REDG | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gervon Dexter Sr | DT | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Neville Gallimore | DT | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Malik Muhammad | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Montez Sweat | LEDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Noah Sewell | SAM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zakee Wheatley | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Isaiah Simmons | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Edwards | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Grady Jarrett | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tre'von Moehrig | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chau Smith-Wade | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Claudin Cherelus | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shemar Turner | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Brown | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Princely Umanmielen | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan van den Berg | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Akayleb Evans | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyrique Stevenson | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cairo Santos | K | 2 | 2 | 2 | 56 |
| Ryan Fitzgerald | K | 2 | 2 | 5 | 44 |

