The first regular season game for the Chicago Bears is almost here, and they're kicking the 2026 season off against the Carolina Panthers.
These two teams will forever be linked due to the trade that landed both franchises their potential franchise quarterbacks, with Bryce Young landing in Carolina and the Bears getting a hefty package that was headlined by Caleb Williams.
Both teams reached the playoffs last season on the strengths of their offenses, both of which will be a major factor coming into the 2026 season. There is an influx of youthful talent for the Bears offense this season, and they'll have a favorable matchup against Carolina to open the regular season with a defense that features new names, but is still very vulnerable.
Here are
the top three offensive keys for the Bears in Week 1 vs. the Panthers:
Foot on the gas
A lot of the Bears coaches and players stressed this offseason that they want to get off to better starts, not needing to have to play from behind as often as they did last season. For Chicago, if they can get their offense going early, they have to make sure to keep their foot on the gas and not let up. The true tone setter not only for this game but for the season, will be seeing how the offense can command the first half of games, and they'll have a great matchup to do so against Carolina.
Spread the ball around
With much being made about the Bears offense from both analysts and Chicago's own coaches, there needs to be a full display of weapons on that side of the ball. The Bears should get the ball around to their top three receiving threats early, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, and Colston Loveland, while also attacking on the ground game in a multitude of ways. Quarterback Caleb Williams has no shortage of options to utilize, and the danger of the offense is not in individual players, but the entire unit as a whole.
Make it easy on Braxton Jones
Not necessarily needing to call plays away from Braxton Jones, but the Bears starting left tackle should hope to have the gameplan set to make his life as easy as possible. It'll help Jones that he's lined up next to the NFL Protector of the Year in Joe Thuney, but the scheme should be in place to help the veteran play to the coaching staff's expectations of him. Jones was named the starter earlier this week and he has the veteran experience of doing so, but Ozzy Trapilo may not be far behind him in competing for that spot once healthy, so Jones will have to make a good first impression.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 3 keys for Bears offense vs. Panthers in Week 1
