Bears at Panthers
Carolina Panthers 38, Chicago Bears 17 · Dirt Lg 27
Final Score
Bears 17 2 TD · 1 FG · 2 XP
Panthers 38 5 TD · 1 FG · 5 XPCaleb Williams 221 yds passingCam Skattebo 189 yds rushingZavion Thomas 155 yds receivingDevin Bush 5 tkl defenseTotal yards 246 · 377Passing yards 221 · 98Rushing yards 25 · 279Completions 12/19 · 7/13Yards per carry 4.2 · 7.5Recap
Franchise Hub Beat · 1d ago
In a commanding season opener, the Carolina Panthers topped the Chicago Bears 38-17, showcasing their dominance on both sides of the ball. With this victory, the Panthers set a strong tone for the 2026 season while the Bears look to regroup after a tough loss.
On the offensive side, Cam Skattebo was a standout for Carolina, rushing for an impressive 189 yards and securing a pivotal touchdown. Caleb Williams of the Bears also had a notable performance, throwing for 221 yards and two touchdowns, while Zavion Thomas emerged as a key target, racking up 155 receiving yards.
Defensively, the Panthers made their mark with a crucial interception by Bobby Okereke, which shifted momentum in their favor. The Bears' defense struggled to contain the run game, allowing Skattebo to dictate the pace, while their inability to create turnovers ultimately sealed their fate. The game’s turning point came when Skattebo broke loose for a long touchdown run, putting the Panthers firmly in control and leaving the Bears unable to catch up.
Box Score
| Player | C/A | PCT | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | ||||||
| Caleb WilliamsQB | 12/19 | 63% | 221 | 2 | 2 | 98.6 |
| Panthers | ||||||
| Bryce YoungQB | 7/13 | 54% | 116 | 1 | 0 | 109.7 |
| Player | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | |||||||
| Caleb WilliamsQB | 2 | 24 | 12.0 | — | 0 | 13 | 1 |
| D'Andre SwiftHB | 4 | 1 | 0.3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Panthers | |||||||
| Cam SkatteboHB | 29 | 189 | 6.5 | 51 | 4 | 29 | 0 |
| Chuba HubbardHB | 7 | 81 | 11.6 | 13 | 0 | 45 | 0 |
| Bryce YoungQB | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Player | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | |||||||
| Zavion ThomasWR | 5 | 155 | 31.0 | 55 | 2 | 65 | 0 |
| Colston LovelandTE | 3 | 50 | 16.7 | 20 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| D'Andre SwiftHB | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Rome OdunzeWR | 2 | 6 | 3.0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Panthers | |||||||
| Jalen CokerWR | 2 | 72 | 36.0 | 49 | 1 | 67 | 0 |
| Chris Brazzell IIWR | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 11 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Chuba HubbardHB | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 14 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Cam SkatteboHB | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 16 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Tetairoa McMillanWR | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Player | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | |||||
| Devin BushMIKE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. EdwardsWILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Neville GallimoreDT | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Boye MafeREDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dillon ThienemanSS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Foyesade OluokunMIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jessie Bates IIIFS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jaylon JohnsonCB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Kyler GordonCB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Grady JarrettDT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Clark Phillips IIICB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan van den BergDT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Panthers | |||||
| Zakee WheatleyFS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Bobby OkerekeMIKE | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyrel DodsonWILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Devin LloydWILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Isaiah SimmonsFS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaycee HornCB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Nic ScourtonLEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah BoldenCB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tre Hawkins IIICB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeffery SimmonsDT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Player | FG | XP | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | |||
| Cairo SantosK | 1/1 | 2 | 48 |
| Panthers | |||
| Ryan FitzgeraldK | 1/1 | 5 | 49 |