The 2026 NFL regular season is under way, and I’m not sure the Chicago Bears could have had a more emphatic offensive performance than they did on Sunday afternoon in Carolina. Now, it’s always important not to overreact to anything that happens in Week 1 (we’ll take more on that in a few), but the offense did something we’ve never seen before. Without getting too much into the weeds right now, let’s dive into our first regular season edition of 10 Bears Takes for the 2026 regular season.
1. Once
again, the 2026 opener continues to prove how unpredictable Week 1 can be.
Man, what a weekend, huh? Once again, the NFL showed why they are king, even if the two opening games of the weekend didn’t deliver the same way many had hoped. Across the league, plenty of results didn’t match expectations, starting with Thursday’s game, where the Los Angeles Rams were run out of Australia by the San Francisco 49ers. To make matters worse, offseason prize Myles Garrett will miss at least four games after undergoing a knee scope.
Surprises on Sunday included the New Orleans Saints taking the Detroit Lions down to the wire in overtime, the New York Jets dominating the Titans in Tennessee, and the Atlanta Falcons on their QB3 hanging with Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road.
While the results of the week make it easy to conclude, no matter how “crazy” things might feel in the moment, we should have learned to let things play out for a few months into the season. For example, the Las Vegas Raiders beat the New England Patriots 20-13. A few months later, the Patriots were in the Super Bowl, and the Raiders were firing their head coach (and staff) after a disastrous first season. Heck, even Justin Fields went off for a 9.9 yards-per-attempt average and three total touchdowns, before being benched two months later.
Long story short, it’s best to hold all of our hot takes for at least a few more weeks. Even for as exciting as the Bears’ win was on Sunday, let’s see how things play out into October.
2. Don’t be fooled by last year’s results; the Carolina Panthers’ defense should be much improved. No matter the opponent, 59 points is something Bears fans have never seen this team accomplish before.
Seriously, what the Bears’ offense did on Sunday is something fans have never seen their favorite team accomplish before. In total, Chicago hung 59 points, 552 yards, and 70 plays. Even more impressive, they ran for 291 yards on 39 carries for a 7.5-yard average, and six touchdowns on the ground.
Through the air, they were as efficient as they have been with Caleb Williams going 21-for-29 (72.4%) for 269 passing yards and two passing touchdowns, while adding 65 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Even more impressive, he averaged 9.3 yards per attempt.
In total, the offense scored nine times on 14 drives, punting just twice. One of those drives came at the end of the half, and it was a run play.
We’ll dive into more specifics on each aspect of their offensive attack here in a few, but what this group did, especially in Week 1, should not be overlooked, even if it’s unlikely to be replicated many times this season. During the offseason, head coach Ben Johnson went on record saying he wanted to have the league’s highest-scoring offense ever. While that might feel like some super lofty expectations, it’s worth noting that the team with the current record (the 2013 Denver Broncos) did not crack 59 (or more) at any point during their impressive 16-game campaign. They did, however, hang 50-plus three times, as well as 40-plus.
Although lofty, the Bears are technically out-pacing the Broncos one game into the season. Even if I don’t believe they can break the record for points-per-game, it’s a great start, and again, not something we’ve ever seen a Bears offense accomplish. Buckle up, Bears fans. The defense is likely to struggle, which means these types of offensive outbursts will be musts for them to win ball games.
3. Speaking of the offense, the subtle differences in Caleb Williams’ game were noticeable and, more importantly, promising.
As noted above, Williams was above the high-water mark set by his head coach, with a 72.4% completion rate. A big part of that, beyond an impressive offensive outburst, was how often he simply took the checkdown. He started five-for-five before throwing one away, and finished the first half 12-of-15 for 196 passing yards, a touchdown, and a 141.0 passer rating.
For those who believe “settling” for checkdowns results in lower efficiency numbers, Sunday was his second-highest yards-per-attempt in his career, and a 15.19 total EPA (best of his career). Simply put, Williams taking what the defense gave him resulted in higher efficiency, fewer incompletions, and was a good contribution to Week 1’s highest-scoring offense.
Expanding out further to the entire offense, Sunday’s game was a great example of how much opposing defenses are going to struggle to contain this group all season. Everyone, including me, agrees that tight end Colston Loveland is one of, if not the best, offensive weapons the team has. After all, he was their most dangerous pass catcher down the stretch last season. Yet, somehow, the Panthers’ defense held Loveland to no catches (or yards) on two targets, but still found a way to give up 552 yards and 59 points.
In the passing game, veteran Kalif Raymond led all pass catchers with eight catches for 88 yards. Luther Burden factored in with five catches for 63 yards, and Rome Odunze had the catch of the day, mossing Carolina’s rookie cornerback. In total, the Bears had 261 total yards through the air, despite not getting Loveland or rookie Zavion Thomas involved. The only touchdown came from Jahdae Walker’s 1-yard catch to ice the game.
What should scare defensive coordinators is that Johnson cannot only feature less-likely heroes like Raymond and Walker, but also bludgeon opposing defenses on the ground. We’ll get into the team’s rushing attack and D’Andre Swift’s much-deserved extension later, but hanging more rushing yards (291) than passing yards (261) shows how versatile and unpredictable this group can be.
Even if fans shouldn’t expect 59 points or 500-plus yards, they can expect their head coach (and offensive play caller) to find every potential avenue to success for his offense on a weekly basis.
4. Much was made of how the Bears handled their defensive acquisition this offseason; after one week, there’s plenty to be concerned about moving forward without serious adjustments from defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.
Make no mistake: there’s plenty to be excited about in 2026 for this Bears team. That said, if Sunday was any indication of how much this defense will struggle, everyone should have serious concerns moving forward.
I’m not one to sit here and continue to poo-poo Bryce Young and his development heading into Year 4. In fact, I’m someone who believes the conversation for the top quarterback in the 2023 class between Young and C.J. Stroud is closer than many want to admit. That said, allowing him to go for 361 yards, a 110.3 rating, and a total EPA of (9.18) is just not going to win this unit many awards.
Many, including myself, expect the Panthers’ offense to take a step forward this season, but that big of a step forward? Highly unlikely.
The lack of pressure on Young was a concern, but the missed tackles and lack of gap integrity were more concerning. The open-field tackling at the second level was atrocious, and the team’s top-2 cornerbacks looked slow and overmatched. Outside of the two takeaways, there wasn’t a whole lot to like about the Bears’ defensive performance on Sunday.
The lack of talent on the defensive line isn’t a surprise. While players like Montez Sweat flashed early, these guys don’t have enough help to be the best players on this unit without it being a serious problem. On the plus side, rookie nickel Malik Muhammad flashed multiple times, including a pass breakup and the team’s lone interception before the end of the first half.
Beyond that, this group looked slow, overmatched, and undisciplined in all the wrong ways. Only time will tell how much this will improve, but for as bad as the defensive line was expected to be, the secondary, namely the cornerbacks, should be this team’s biggest concern moving forward.
Needless to say, there’s plenty for Allen and his coaching staff to get cleaned up moving forward. A one-week sample size or not, it’s very likely that simply “coaching better” isn’t going to be enough to get this unit to where they need to be for the Bears to be a legit Super Bowl contender in 2026.
5. Much will be made of Williams’ Week 1 performance, but the dominance on the ground from the running game gives this offense scary potential. More on the Bears’ two-headed monster, both going for more than 100 yards.
Heading into Sunday’s season-opener, it was easy to look at the Panthers’ defense and start tabbing certain advantages that the Bears might have. Especially with the heat, establishing the run game and sticking with it will be a big factor in scoring, controlling the ball, and ultimately winning the game.
Like the game in Philadelphia on Black Friday last year, the Bears dominated through the ground. Against the Eagles, they ran the ball 47 times for 281 yards, including two touchdowns on the ground. Granted, Williams had just 154 yards through the air. On Sunday, they gashed the Panthers for 291 yards and six touchdowns on 39 carries. Impressively, Chicago averaged 1.5 yards per carry more on Sunday, and did this with Williams throwing for 269 yards and two touchdowns through the air.
Fresh off a three-year contract extension, Swift, unlikely last year, led the team in both carries (18), rushing yards (124), and touchdowns (3). Not to be outdone, Kyle Monangai ran the ball 10 times for 100 yards and a 61-yard touchdown. Couple that with Williams’ 10 scrambles for 65 yards and two touchdowns, and you had one of the more impressive rushing performances you’ll see in the modern NFL.
Now, don’t get me wrong. The Bears won’t be able to do this each week, and there will be games where one, if not both, backs struggle to get going. That said, the combination of Swift’s speed and explosion, and Monangai’s power and surprising burst, makes for a very hard assignment to stop for any defensive coordinator. If all goes as planned, you can almost count on this offense wanting the balance they had on Sunday, which ended up favoring the run game 39-to-31 in terms of play resolution.
Going back to a previous point, Johnson’s scheme and play calling, combined with their personnel, give them multiple ways to beat any team on any Sunday, which is a nightmare for any defensive coordinator to game plan for.
6. It was an impressive play-calling debut for former Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle.
When the Ravens opted to move on from John Harbaugh, that job immediately moved to the top of every candidate’s list, which included coordinators. Doyle was a relatively popular name in this offseason’s coordinator race, but he turned down multiple opportunities and was expected to stay with the Bears for another season. That was until Baltimore came calling.
Honestly, who can blame him? You get an opportunity to call plays for an offense that features two-time MVP QB Lamar Jackson, along with a good offensive line and plenty of offensive weapons, including receiver Zay Flowers and running back Derrick Henry. In addition, what better way to get notoriety for a head coaching job than to do it on a perennial Super Bowl contender like the Ravens? That’s why, for as disappointed as Ben Johnson was, he completely understood (and supported) Doyle taking the job.
Again, you never want to overreact to Week 1 (or one game in general), but what a play-calling debut it was for the 30-year-old offensive mind. Not only did the Ravens hang 41 points on what was expected to be a good defense, but Jackson looked back, and Henry rushed for 144 yards and three touchdowns. In total, Baltimore racked up 509 yards, including 202 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
The AFC North is wide open, and with a more well-balanced squad in Baltimore, they can get themselves back into Super Bowl contention this season. Only time will tell how it all plays out, but one thing is for sure- if their offense continues to pace what they did on Sunday, Doyle might be the hottest head coaching candidate once January rolls around.
7. Five Week 1 (non-Bears) Overreactions (Before Monday Night)
Okay, listen. I know I’ve told all of you not to overreact to anything that happens in Week 1, but let’s pretend for a second like maybe it’s OK to do so. Here are my five overreactions from the weekend (that I don’t actually believe… yet):
- The Tennessee Titans made the wrong hire with Robert Saleh (and Brian Daboll).
Yeah, I said it. Teams who hire defensive-minded head coaches with young high-round picks at quarterback rarely pan out. Sure, there’s Josh Allen and Sean McDermott, but the sustainable long-term examples don’t go much further than that. Saleh might be a good head coach in the right situation, but handing him a No. 1 pick from last year who struggled with consistency and stability didn’t seem wise at the time, and after one week, it looks like a complete disaster.
- The Dallas Cowboys did not improve their defense nearly enough to be considered a quality playoff contender this season.
On paper, this group should be much improved, especially with highly sought-after defensive coordinator Christian Parker. That said, the defense is still multiple players and pass rushers away from being ready to challenge the Eagles and (even) the Giants for the top of the division. Dallas will finish in a distant third place by the end of this season.
- The Los Angeles Rams will be the most disappointing team of this decade.
Myles Garrett’s injury might drag on longer than expected, and Aaron Donald is unlikely to be the same player he was before his initial retirement. Even so, the bigger concern is on offense, where both Matthew Stafford and Davante Adams look past their prime. The Rams bet on their window for another year or two, but it’s closing in an ugly way. To take it a step further, they won’t make the playoffs this season.
- The Cleveland Browns are the worst team in football, and it’s not even close.
Deshaun Watson, Shadeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, or Taylen Green- it won’t matter. The Browns are in bad shape, and it’s not going to get better any time soon. No Myles Garrett? Big problems. It’s all bad in Cleveland, and after Week 1’s embarrassing blowout loss in Jacksonville, the Browns are well on their way to the No. 1 pick next April.
- The Las Vegas Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, and New York Giants will be this year’s surprise teams to make the playoffs.
Alright, so maybe the Giants making the playoffs isn’t a massive stretch, but let’s just pretend that all the Cardinals needed was a new head coach, and a historically expensive offseason in Las Vegas was enough to break through back into relevance finally. Each season, a handful of new teams make the playoffs, so why not these three?
8. NFC North Lookaround: Detroit blows a 21-point lead but holds on in overtime, and yet another fourth-quarter crumble for the Packers on the road against the Vikings.
What a week for the NFL’s best division (or at least one of the Top 2).
Despite jumping out to a dominant 21-point lead, it took until the final two minutes of overtime for the Lions to notch the win at home against the Saints. In offensive coordinator Drew Petzing’s first game calling plays in Detroit, it was a bit of a mixed bag. While Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown looked like their usual selves, quarterback Jared Goff was extremely inefficient, posting a 5.3 yards-per-attempt figure. While the offensive line had flashes of looking better, right guard Christian Mahogany suffered what looked like a tough knee injury.
Detroit’s defense looked great in the first half, allowing zero points; they gave up 30 points over the final 43 minutes of football, including overtime. On the plus side, they notched five sacks, including two from Aidan Hutchinson, and picked off quarterback Tyler Shough twice. Unfortunately, they gave up 410 through the air (not counting sacks) and over 450 total yards. They’ll have a short turnaround in Week 2, as they’ll head to Buffalo to take on the (1-0) Bills, who came off a 36-point performance against an elite defense in Houston.
In Minnesota, we got a little bit of everything when the Packers and Vikings squared off. What looked like a dominant Green Bay victory quickly turned to disaster when Minnesota scored 29 unanswered points in the second half. For the Packers, it was a familiar story: they couldn’t finish the job, despite looking like the better team for most of three quarters. Quarterback Jordan Love was uncharacteristically inaccurate but still put up 387 yards with two touchdowns, but turned the ball over twice. As expected, the run game was spotty at best, and the offensive line gave up four sacks. Frankly, it could have been a lot more if not for Love’s escabilitity.
For the Vikings, it was a disastrous start. Not only was the offense struggling, but quarterback Kyler Murray went down with an ugly concussion that left him in a heap on the field. Carson Wentz, as usual, was up-and-down, but he still finished the game with three touchdowns on 19 pass attempts. Sacks continue to be an issue with him, but we’ll see if his performance in relief was enough to land him a Week 2 start, assuming Murray can’t go.
Here are the standings after Week 1:
(1-0) Minnesota Vikings (Due to divisional win)
(1-0) Chicago Bears
(1-0) Detroit Lions
(0-1) Green Bay Packers
9. Week 2 Look Ahead: The Home Opener Against the (likely) Kyler Murray-less (1-0) Minnesota Vikings.
The Bears’ home opener is around the corner, and it will feature a pair of (1-0) teams squaring off at Soldier Field. Historically, defensive coordinator Brian Flores has dominated the Bears. That said, Johnson’s track record against him (going back to Detroit) is just as strong on the other side. This will be a tough test for an offense that just hung 59 points on what many expect to be an above-average defense.
Typically, these NFC North showdowns have been closely contested, especially between these two teams. We’ll have to see if Murray is healthy enough to go on Sunday, but considering how bad that hit looked against the Packers, it could very well be Wentz getting his first start of the season. No matter the quarterback, these two teams are keenly familiar with each other, and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and this defense should know exactly what to expect from Minnesota’s offense.
On the surface, Sunday’s performance against the Panthers didn’t look good for the Bears’ defense. That said, Wentz isn’t as good as Bryce Young, which might help keep the score lower. Regardless, Allen and his staff will have their work cut out. Offensively, following up Week 1’s impressive offensive outburst will be tough. Even so, the goal should be scoring in the high-20s, and maybe if they are lucky, they can hang a 30-spot on Flores’ unit.
Either way, fans on both sides of this rivalry should buckle up for what should be a closely contested game that will leave one of them at the top of the division, while the other goes to .500.
10. Welcome back, football, and thank you to all of our loyal readers who continue to support us. I’m not sure where the season will take us, but I’m glad we’re all along for the ride!
As always, we at Windy City Gridiron are extremely grateful for all of our readers’ support. It’s great to have football back, and it’s even better to go into a season where expectations are sky-high for this Bears team.
Although I have no clue where this season will take us, it’s hard to imagine that it won’t be a wild ride along the way. Keep it locked in, and we’ll all usher in a new season together!
