The Chicago Bears didn’t exactly cruise through Week 1, but they did leave Carolina with a result that mattered most: a 1-0 record. Ben Johnson’s team had to fight through a Panthers offense that made things uncomfortable, yet the Bears kept finding answers because their attack was simply too explosive to be denied.
The headline number from the opener jumps off the page: 59 touchdowns in the first game of the season. That kind of production should quiet any worry about early-season rust or about whether the Bears’ banged-up playmakers would need time to shake off the cobwebs.
What comes next is a divisional matchup with the Minnesota Vikings, but before that, there are three clear takeaways from Chicago’s Week 1 win.
The biggest one is the running game, which looked flat-out nasty.
D’Andre Swift wasted no time reminding everyone why his new deal was such a bargain. He turned 18 carries into 124 rushing yards, 6-9 yards per carry, and three touchdowns. He also caught his only target for 10 yards.
Kyle Monangai had a quieter stretch early, running into stacked boxes and not looking nearly as explosive. Then he ripped off a 61-yards explosion for a score and finished with exactly 100 rushing yards on 10 carries. He added two catches for 24 yards, too.
By the end of the night, Chicago had piled up 291 rushing yards. Johnson already ran the league’s third-best rushing attack last season, and now he appears to have found his next version of Sonic & Knuckles in the Windy City.
The defense, though, still has work to do.
A win is a win, but allowing 37 points is not a formula the Bears can lean on very often. The offense was electric enough to cover for it in this one, but that won’t be the answer every week.
Carolina moved the ball for 478 total yards and went 4-for-9 on third down. Chicago did create momentum through turnovers, picking off Byron Young once and recovering two fumbles. Still, the larger issue is stopping teams when it matters.
Dave Canales deserves credit for the offense he put together, and for the weapons he has to work with. Even so, there have to be adjustments on Chicago’s side. One encouraging note: rookie Dillon Thieneman looked ready for the moment, finishing with six tackles and one pass breakup.
And then there’s Caleb Williams, whose breakout looked very real.
Plenty was said about Williams during the offseason, and not all of it was flattering. After this performance, some of the noise about him being “overrated” probably went quiet.
The former No. 1 pick kept stacking big plays, but he also showed growth in the details. He completed 21 passes for 269 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.
Williams is always going to carry some risk because of how much talent he has and how aggressive he can be. But he made smart decisions, kept the offense ahead of the sticks, and added 10 scrambles for 65 yards and two more touchdowns. Baller.
In Other News...
Bears Just Sent A Telling Signal About Tyson Bagent For Carolina
The Bears added quarterback Miller Moss to the practice squad and moved quickly to elevate him along with Kaden Davis, a sign that their quarterback room is being handled with Carolina in mind. Chicago has not ruled Tyson Bagent out, and he did travel with the team, but the roster maneuver points to a real possibility that the Bears are planning as if they may need another option available on game day.
How the quarterback group shakes out will hinge on whether Bagent gets clearance before kickoff. If he is able to dress, the Bears can keep the rest of the plan relatively straightforward, with Case Keenum likely stepping into the emergency role. If not, the elevation of Moss suddenly becomes a much more meaningful part of Chicagos Week 1 prep than a simple depth move. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Pass Rush Is Already Drawing The Wrong Kind Of Attention
The Bears opened the season with a wild 96-point shootout against the Panthers, a game that rewrote a long-standing league scoring record and still ended with Chicago on top. DAndre Swift and Kyle Monangai both topped 100 rushing yards, giving the offense plenty to celebrate, but the night also produced a defensive moment that immediately traveled far beyond the stadium.
On one blitz against Bryce Young, a Bears defender appeared to ease up before getting to the Panthers quarterback, and the clip spread quickly online for all the wrong reasons. For a team trying to set a tone on defense, it was the kind of attention that can linger long after a win, especially when the pass rush is supposed to be one of the calling cards of the group. [Read more 🡒]
Kaden Davis May Have Just Changed His Bears Role For Good
The Bears opener in Carolina gave Kaden Davis a chance to flash the kind of value that can keep a fringe roster player around long after camp breaks. Elevated from the practice squad for Week 1, the wide receiver was in the right place when Panthers returner Jimmy Horn Jr. muffed a punt, and Davis pounced on it to set up a Bears field goal in the 59-37 win.
It was the sort of small but telling moment that can matter a lot for a player trying to carve out a role. Davis already had made a good impression in training camp and preseason, and his special teams work is now part of the conversation about how Chicago may use him going forward, especially if he keeps showing he can help in more than one phase of the game. [Read more 🡒]