Bears’ Offense Sends a Message in Week 1, But Are Fans Overreacting?
Updated: Sep 13
Heading into Week 1, Bears fans were excited about how good the offense could be in 2026. However, no one expected to see what played out on Sunday.
Chicago defeated the Carolina Panthers 59-37 and gained 552 yards of total offense. They also had six plays of at least 20 yards, showing just how explosive this offense can be.
While that performance was unexpected, it also backed up what Ben Johnson said his goal was before the season. So, should Bears fans be overreacting after one game?
Does Chicago Really Have an Explosive Offense?
Prior to the start of the season, Ben Johnson said he wanted to have the highest-scoring offense in NFL history. Currently, the 2013 Denver Broncos hold that record with 606 total points, which is an average of 37.9 points per game.
If Chicago performed like it did in Week 1 every week, it would easily break that record. Obviously, scoring 59 points per week is very unlikely, but the offense definitely showed that it is explosive in the air and on the ground
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Of the Bears' six plays of at least 20 yards, three were passes from Caleb Williams.
The first big pass play was a 47-yard completion to Rome Odunze in the first quarter. Odunze made a very nice contested catch on the play to put Chicago in the red zone. His other completion of over 20 yards was a 28-yard pass to Kalif Raymond. Luther Burden also had a catch for 24 yards.
On the ground, both D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai had big runs. Swift had rushes of 32 yards and 28 yards. Monangai broke free for a 61-yard touchdown.
Monangai's touchdown run was impressive, given that he isn't known for his speed, but he was able to break away from the defense and turn it into one of Chicago's biggest plays of the afternoon
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Moreover, Chicago was able to be this productive without getting tight end Colston Loveland involved. Loveland led the team in receiving yards last year and had a breakout camp. However, against Carolina, he was only targeted twice.
So just imagine how much more explosive this offense could be with Loveland more involved.
That's one of the reasons why Bears fans should be excited. Chicago didn't need every offensive weapon to have a huge game to put up 59 points. There are still players who could become bigger parts of the offense as the season progresses.
Don't Overreact to One Game
With that being said, it's important Bears fans don't overreact to this game. Yes, having this explosive of a first game is exciting, but Week 1 always comes with some caveats.
Most teams aren't who they will be at the end of the season in Week 1. A prime example of this is the Bears last season. Chicago looked terrible during the first two weeks of the season. Then they figured things out and gave fans one of the best Bears seasons ever.
Sunday's game was also a hot one. That became apparent early when two of the Panthers' best defensive linemen, Bobby Brown and Derrick Brown, left early with injuries. While both returned later in the game, those injuries hurt Carolina early on.
That isn't to say this win over the Panthers was an outlier. The Bears were extremely impressive and showed exactly why there was so much excitement surrounding this offense heading into the season.
However, Bears fans should be cautious about assuming the offense will score 59 points every week.
Maybe calling Chicago's offense one of the best in the NFL after one game is an overreaction. But after scoring 59 points, gaining 552 yards and producing six plays of at least 20 yards, it's certainly understandable why Bears fans are feeling good about what this offense could become.
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