Caleb Williams threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more and the Chicago Bears pulled away for a 59-37 victory against the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte in the highest-scoring Week 1 game in NFL history.
In the teams’ season opener, D’Andre Swift scored three touchdown runs and rushed for 124 yards on 18 carries for Chicago. Williams completed 21 of 29 passes for 269 yards and added 65 rushing yards. Kyle Monangai gained 100 yards on 10 carries, including a 61-yard TD.
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young threw two of his three touchdown passes to Jalen Coker. Young was 23 of 37 for 361 yards with one interception.
Coker made eight catches for 138 yards. Chuba Hubbard scored touchdowns on a run and a reception.
The Panthers pulled even at 31-31 on Hubbard’s 2-yard run with 9:02 left in the third quarter.
From there, the Bears posted the next three touchdowns on runs by Swift (1 yard) and Monangai and Williams’ 1-yard pass to Jahdae Walker. Later, Swift found the end zone from 28 yards out.
Cairo Santos’ 40-yard field goal for the Bears and Ryan Fitzgerald’s 44-yarder for the Panthers left the teams tied at 24-24 late in the first half. Williams rambled 29 yards with 22 seconds left for a 31-24 lead.
Chicago had 315 yards of first-half total offense.
The points parade began early.
After the Bears fumbled two snaps into the game, the Panthers went 42 yards for a touchdown on their first possession. Young threw 4 yards to Hubbard for the score.
Chicago pulled even when Williams scrambled around the left side for a 9-yard touchdown to complete a nine-play drive.
Swift ran 1 yard for a score later in the first quarter for the Bears’ first lead. He had 65 first-quarter rushing yards.
Chicago took over at the Carolina 41 following a Panthers punt and penalty. Cole Kmet’s 22-yard reception produced the touchdown.
Three plays later, the Panthers were in the end zone on Young’s 51-yard pass to Jalen Coker.
The Bears gambled on a fourth-down play at their own 21, failing to pick up 1 yard as Carolina took over and converted when Young raced 7 yards for a touchdown.
The score was 21-21 just over 21 minutes into the game.
