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Chicago Bears open with a 50 Burger to beat the Carolina Panthers

The Chicago Bears orchestrated an explosive offensive display on Sunday, September 13, 2026, defeating the Carolina Panthers 59-37 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. Quarterback Caleb Williams sparked the scoring by crossing the goal line on a first-quarter touchdown run.

Reaching 59 points shattered the previous franchise mark for an opening-week contest, which had stood since a 45-point outing against Green Bay back in 1948.

Beyond establishing a team standard, the offensive explosion brought Chicago past the 50-point barrier for the first time since 2012. The combined tally of 96 points between the two clubs set an all-time NFL record as the highest-scoring Week 1 contest ever played, while the 59-37 result also achieved a unique final score never previously recorded in league history.