NFL roundup: Bears and Panthers set scoring record; Bills beat Texans in thriller
Caleb Williams threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 65 yards and two more scores as the Chicago Bears defeated the Carolina Panthers in the highest-scoring season opener in NFL history. Chicago and Carolina scored eight more points than the previous record of 88 set in Tampa Bay’s 48-40 win over New Orleans in 2018. Coach Ben Johnson’s prolific Bears also broke a franchise record for points in an opener, a mark that had stood since 1948, when Chicago hung 45 points on Green Bay at Wrigley Field. The 59 points were the most allowed by the Panthers in team history. D’Andre Swift, who received a $33.75m contract extension earlier this week, ran for 124 yards on 18 carries with three touchdowns, while Kyle Monangai had 100 yards rushing, including a 61-yard touchdown burst.
TL;DR
- Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers set a new NFL record for the highest-scoring season opener.
- Caleb Williams and D'Andre Swift were key offensive players for the Bears in their record-breaking win.
- Josh Allen's late touchdown pass secured a win for the Buffalo Bills against the Houston Texans.
- The Detroit Lions won in overtime against the New Orleans Saints.
- Cincinnati's defense contributed touchdowns in their victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
- Derrick Henry's three touchdowns moved him to third on the NFL's career rushing list as the Baltimore Ravens beat the Indianapolis Colts.
- Trevor Lawrence threw four touchdowns to lead the Jacksonville Jaguars over the Cleveland Browns.
- T.J. Watt's pick-six helped the Pittsburgh Steelers edge out the Atlanta Falcons.
- The New York Jets defeated the Tennessee Titans, with strong performances from Breece Hall and Geno Smith.