The Chicago Bears dropped 59 points and over 550 yards of offense on the Carolina Panthers to kick off Year 2 of the Ben Johnson era, but the highest-scoring Week 1 game in NFL history came with defensive concerns that cannot be ignored.

Caleb Williams, D’Andre Swift, and Kyle Monangai all delivered explosive performances for the Bears offense, while defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s secondary was torched for 360-plus passing yards by Panthers’ quarterback Bryce Young. Here are the winners and losers from Chicago’s season opener.

Winner: Ben Johnson and his goal of having the NFL’s highest-scoring offense

Ben Johnson earns the top spot after his offense put up 59 points and rolled past every high expectation in the opener. At halftime, Johnson said the players were helping him out and that the game didn’t go the way he wanted. If 50-plus points and over five touchdowns isn’t the way you wanted it to go, it’s hard to imagine how much better this thing can get.

For what it’s worth, penalties were a consistent problem throughout the game for the entire Bears team, and there were plenty of offensive flags that Johnson will be frustrated with. The fourth-down attempt from Chicago’s own 21-yard line was also a bold call that raised eyebrows. Those aggressive decisions will show up every week, but the rest of the play sheet has to make up for it.

The second half, though, featured some incredible play calling. For a coach who claimed a couple weeks ago that he was going to have the highest-scoring offense in NFL history, he’s already off to the start he promised.

Loser: Dennis Allen and his expectations for this defense

Dennis Allen made a point this offseason that upgrading pass coverage was the priority over adding pass rush. The result in Week 1? Carolina put up 360-plus passing yards and three touchdowns through the air, and Bryce Young looked like a future Pro Bowl player against Allen’s defense.

Young has been one of the worst quarterbacks in the league over the past three years, yet he shined in this game at the start of what could be an important season for him. Montez Sweat recorded an early sack and Kentavius Street added one of his own, but consistent pressure was nowhere to be found.

The Bears have always had this problem when it comes to stat-padding sacks. You need consistent pressure down after down. The sacks are nice when they pop up, but the gaps between them are far too wide to win football games. Too many times Young had a clean pocket, and when he did, the pass coverage broke down behind it.

Winners: D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai pick up right where they left off as the NFL’s top RB duo

Fresh off a three-year extension, Swift looked absolutely incredible with over 100 total yards and three touchdowns, including a 28-yard touchdown and a 32-yard burst that represents exactly the kind of explosive the Bears want to see out of the run game. Monangai then came alive in the second half, averaging 10 yards per carry with a touchdown of his own on a 61-yard explosive run.

The strong run game the Bears talked about all offseason showed up in full force. Swift dominated the first half, Monangai spelled him in the second and kept the pressure on Carolina’s defense without any drop-off. Both backs went over 100 yards rushing with four combined touchdowns. My bold prediction is holding true through Week 1: this has the makings of the NFL’s leading rushing offense in 2026.

Losers: Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson raise questions at CB

Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson were a significant concern for the Bears secondary. Johnson did flash a nice peanut punch against Tetairoa McMillan, but he got beat badly on two double moves. The first was a wheel route against Jalen Coker on the opening drive where Johnson jumped early. The second came against running back Jonathon Brooks on the outside for another chunk play in the passing game.

Stevenson was just as suspectable to a big play giving up the 51-yard touchdown to Coker as well. Those two players cannot be a problem if the production doesn’t improve, and the Bears should seriously consider picking up the phone with the Pittsburgh Steelers about potentially acquiring Joey Porter Jr. to shore up the position.

Winner: Caleb Williams begins his MVP case

The poise Williams showed running this offense in Year 2 was on full display. He completed 21 of 29 passes, clearing the 70-percent completion mark that Ben Johnson set as a high-end goal. The touchdown throw to tight end Cole Kmet was an absolute beauty, and the in-route strike to Luther Burden III was one of my favorite throws of the day. Williams was also ripping 50/50 balls to Rome Odunze on the outside and making plays out of the pocket with his trademark jump-ball throws.

With his legs, Williams recorded over 65 rushing yards on 10 scrambles with two rushing touchdowns. He hit over 20 miles per hour each of those TDs, by the way. When he’s playing like that, he is going to be the MVP if he can sustain that level throughout the rest of the season.

Winner: Malik Muhammad answers an early test

The rookie cornerback earned his spot after being thrust into the starting lineup on short notice. Xavier Woods was expected to start at safety but was ruled out during the inactives just before kickoff. Cam Lewis slid to safety, which meant Muhammad stepped into the nickel spot for his NFL debut.

He more than held his own. Muhammad hauled in a diving interception just before halftime and broke up a fourth-down pass targeting Tetairoa McMillan. He even moved outside briefly when Stevenson was dealing with a minor injury before sliding back to the nickel. The Bears were high on this rookie throughout the offseason, and Week 1 showed exactly why.

Don’t overreact: Colston Loveland is going to be just fine

The craziest part of this offensive explosion for the Bears is that they did it without their best offensive weapon in tight end Colston Loveland. Loveland played a significant portion of the game, but finished the day with zero receptions on two targets.

Don’t overreact to that. Johnson’s offense and how he game plans his weapons his matchup dependent and Loveland was not the focal piece in today’s game plan. Even his two targets could have been big plays had they been better passes.

Loveland is still going to be a dominant player for this offense. You shouldn’t be concerned about his performance today. If anything, the rest of the NFL should be because there’s still untapped potential from this 59-point showing.