CHICAGO BEARS BEAT CAROLINA PANTHERS 59-37 IN SCORING RECORD

The Chicago Bears beat the Carolina Panthers 59-37, in what was recorded as the highest-scoring season opener in NFL history. The two teams combined for 96 points, eight more than the previous record of 88, set in 2018 when Tampa Bay beat New Orleans 48-40. Caleb Williams threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns for the Bears and ran for a further 65 yards and two more scores. Carolina's Bryce Young passed for 361 yards and three touchdowns and added a rushing touchdown of his own, though his team's defence could not contain Chicago's attack.

Coach Ben Johnson's Bears broke their own franchise record for points scored in a season opener, a mark that had stood since 1948, when Chicago put 45 points on Green Bay at Wrigley Field. The 59 points conceded were also the most in Panthers' team history. D'Andre Swift, who agreed a $33.75m contract extension earlier in the week, ran for 124 yards on 18 carries and scored three touchdowns, while Kyle Monangai added 100 yards, including a 61-yard touchdown run. Across the game, the Bears rushed for 291 yards on 39 carries and scored six rushing touchdowns.

Amid the dominant offensive display, the Bears' one notable failure came on a fourth-and-one attempt from their own 21-yard line, which did not convert. The result follows a season in which the Bears won the NFC North, having been regarded as one of the surprises of the NFL. The Buffalo Bills also opened their campaign with a win, beating the Houston Texans 36-31 on a late touchdown pass from Josh Allen, while the Detroit Lions beat the New Orleans Saints 31-30 in overtime after a failed two-point conversion attempt.