# Bears 59, Panthers 37: Week 1 recap

> The Chicago Bears beat the Carolina Panthers 59-37 on Sun, Sep 13 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC (Week 1, 2026 season). Records after the game: Bears 7-2, Panthers 3-5. C.Williams (CHI) led all players with +20.4 EPA on 38 dropbacks.

- Source: https://pigskinnightly.com/games/2026-09-13-chi-at-car
- Publisher: Pigskin Nightly (https://pigskinnightly.com)
- Updated: 2026-11-11T03:36:52.345Z
- Method: https://pigskinnightly.com/methodology
- Please cite as: Pigskin Nightly, "Bears 59, Panthers 37: Week 1 recap", https://pigskinnightly.com/games/2026-09-13-chi-at-car

## Questions and answers

### Who won Bears vs Panthers?

The Chicago Bears won 59-37. By quarter: CHI 14-17-14-14, CAR 7-17-7-6.

### Who was the best player in Bears vs Panthers?

By expected points added: C.Williams (CHI, +20.4 EPA on 38 dropbacks), J.Coker (CAR, +12.5 EPA on 9 targets) and B.Young (CAR, +12.1 EPA on 41 dropbacks).

### What was the turning point of Bears vs Panthers?

The biggest swing in win probability (12 points toward the Bears) came in Q2 at 7:07: T.Taylor punts 48 yards to CAR 22, Center-B.Gardner. Ji.Horn MUFFS catch, RECOVERED by CHI-K.Davis at CAR 28.

## Scoring summary

| Quarter | Clock | Play | Score |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Q1 | 11:33 | (Shotgun) B.Young pass short right to C.Hubbard for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN. R.Fitzgerald extra point is GOOD, Center-J.Jansen, Holder-S.Martin. | CHI 0-7 CAR |
| Q1 | 5:52 | (Shotgun) C.Williams scrambles left end for 9 yards, TOUCHDOWN. C.Santos extra point is GOOD, Center-B.Gardner, Holder-T.Taylor. | CHI 7-7 CAR |
| Q1 | 1:59 | (No Huddle, Shotgun) D.Swift up the middle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. C.Santos extra point is GOOD, Center-B.Gardner, Holder-T.Taylor. | CHI 14-7 CAR |
| Q2 | 13:57 | C.Williams pass deep left to C.Kmet for 22 yards, TOUCHDOWN. C.Santos extra point is GOOD, Center-B.Gardner, Holder-T.Taylor. CAR-D.Brown was injured during the play. | CHI 21-7 CAR |
| Q2 | 12:40 | B.Young pass deep left to J.Coker for 51 yards, TOUCHDOWN. R.Fitzgerald extra point is GOOD, Center-J.Jansen, Holder-S.Martin. | CHI 21-14 CAR |
| Q2 | 8:42 | B.Young scrambles right tackle for 7 yards, TOUCHDOWN. R.Fitzgerald extra point is GOOD, Center-J.Jansen, Holder-S.Martin. | CHI 21-21 CAR |
| Q2 | 5:20 | C.Santos 40 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-B.Gardner, Holder-T.Taylor. | CHI 24-21 CAR |
| Q2 | 2:35 | R.Fitzgerald 44 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-J.Jansen, Holder-S.Martin. | CHI 24-24 CAR |
| Q2 | 0:22 | (Shotgun) C.Williams scrambles left end for 29 yards, TOUCHDOWN. C.Santos extra point is GOOD, Center-B.Gardner, Holder-T.Taylor. | CHI 31-24 CAR |
| Q3 | 9:02 | C.Hubbard left guard for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN. ** Injury Update: CAR-D.Lewis has returned to the game. R.Fitzgerald extra point is GOOD, Center-J.Jansen, Holder-S.Martin. | CHI 31-31 CAR |
| Q3 | 3:05 | (No Huddle, Shotgun) D.Swift up the middle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. C.Santos extra point is GOOD, Center-B.Gardner, Holder-T.Taylor. ** Injury Update: CHI-B.Jones has returned to the game. | CHI 38-31 CAR |
| Q3 | 0:40 | K.Monangai up the middle for 61 yards, TOUCHDOWN. ** Injury Update: CAR-B.Brown has returned to the game. C.Santos extra point is GOOD, Center-B.Gardner, Holder-T.Taylor. | CHI 45-31 CAR |
| Q4 | 6:27 | C.Williams pass short right to J.Walker for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. C.Santos extra point is GOOD, Center-B.Gardner, Holder-T.Taylor. | CHI 52-31 CAR |
| Q4 | 4:00 | (No Huddle, Shotgun) B.Young pass short left to J.Coker for 8 yards, TOUCHDOWN. R.Fitzgerald extra point is Blocked (D.Odeyingbo), Center-J.Jansen, Holder-S.Martin. | CHI 52-37 CAR |
| Q4 | 3:40 | D.Swift right guard for 28 yards, TOUCHDOWN. C.Santos extra point is GOOD, Center-B.Gardner, Holder-T.Taylor. | CHI 59-37 CAR |