Bears at Panthers
Chicago Bears 37, Carolina Panthers 31 · The Man’s League for madden and NCAA
Final Score
Bears 37 3 TD · 5 FG · 0 XP
Panthers 31 0 TD · 1 FG · 4 XPC.J. Stroud 521 yds passingTravis Etienne Jr 53 yds rushingTee Higgins 130 yds receivingByron Murphy Jr 6 tkl defenseTotal yards 563 · 400Passing yards 521 · 335Rushing yards 42 · 65Completions 36/52 · 11/28Yards per carry 2.6 · 2.6Recap
Franchise Hub Beat · 56d ago
In a thrilling season opener, the Chicago Bears narrowly defeated the Carolina Panthers with a final score of 37-31. The matchup set the stage for a fierce battle as both teams aimed to establish their dominance in the 2026 season.
Chicago's C.J. Stroud delivered a spectacular performance, throwing for an impressive 521 yards and leading the Bears' high-powered offense. Tee Higgins was his favorite target, racking up 130 receiving yards, while the Panthers' Patrick Mahomes kept pace with four touchdown passes, showcasing his ability to strike quickly through the air.
Defensively, Taron Johnson of the Bears stood out with nine total tackles, helping to keep the Panthers' scoring in check. The game’s turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Jaylon Johnson intercepted a crucial pass from Mahomes, allowing Chicago to regain control and ultimately secure the victory. The Bears' defense, while not dominant, made timely plays that proved decisive in this high-scoring affair.
Box Score
| Player | C/A | PCT | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | ||||||
| C.J. StroudQB | 36/52 | 69% | 521 | 3 | 2 | 104.7 |
| Panthers | ||||||
| Michael Penix JrQB | 11/28 | 39% | 141 | 0 | 3 | 16.2 |
| Player | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | |||||||
| Javonte WilliamsHB | 10 | 36 | 3.6 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 1 |
| C.J. StroudQB | 5 | 10 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Tee HigginsWR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tucker KraftTE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tank BigsbyHB | 1 | -4 | -4.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Panthers | |||||||
| Travis Etienne JrHB | 20 | 53 | 2.6 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 1 |
| Quentin JohnstonWR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DeVonta SmithWR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Other | |||||||
| Zay JonesWR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James ConnerHB | 2 | -5 | -2.5 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | |||||||
| Tee HigginsWR | 7 | 130 | 18.6 | 24 | 2 | 28 | 0 |
| Tucker KraftTE | 9 | 129 | 14.3 | 36 | 0 | 30 | 1 |
| Jauan JenningsWR | 10 | 126 | 12.6 | 15 | 0 | 24 | 1 |
| Javonte WilliamsHB | 3 | 34 | 11.3 | 25 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Elic AyomanorWR | 5 | 29 | 5.8 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 1 |
| Panthers | |||||||
| Quentin JohnstonWR | 6 | 95 | 15.8 | 23 | 1 | 30 | 0 |
| DeVonta SmithWR | 7 | 75 | 10.7 | 20 | 2 | 19 | 0 |
| DeMario DouglasWR | 4 | 59 | 14.8 | 21 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| T.J. HockensonTE | 7 | 59 | 8.4 | 25 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne JrHB | 3 | 28 | 9.3 | 25 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Michael MayerTE | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Other | |||||||
| Zay JonesWR | 2 | 73 | 36.5 | 31 | 1 | 52 | 0 |
| Brevin JordanTE | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Player | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | |||||
| Taron JohnsonCB | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kevin Byard IIIFS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaquan BriskerSS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyrique StevensonCB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Braden FiskeDT | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaden DuggerMIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jahlani TavaiWILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Mack Wilson SrMIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyrice KnightWILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kayvon ThibodeauxREDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marcus JonesCB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Panthers | |||||
| Byron Murphy JrCB | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Yaya DiabyREDG | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alohi GilmanFS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Julian LoveSS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaylon JohnsonCB | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Leo ChenalWILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| John Franklin-MyersDT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trey HendricksonREDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jabril CoxSAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | |||||
| Nakobe DeanWILL | 8 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jordan FullerSS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Teair TartDT | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| James PierreCB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kobie TurnerDT | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Dre'Mont JonesLEDG | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Curtis JacobsWILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | FG | XP | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | |||
| Nick FolkK | 5/5 | 0 | 46 |
| Panthers | |||
| Eddy PineiroK | 1/1 | 4 | 17 |