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Week 1 at Panthers: Good, Better, Best chant No. 14

September 13, 2026 · Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte · Season opener

Watch the locker room

Postgame locker room speech vs. Panthers | Chicago Bears

Video: Chicago Bears on YouTube. Click to play.

How the Bears won

• The 96 combined points made it the highest-scoring season opener in NFL history, eight more than the previous mark of 88 (Tampa Bay 48, New Orleans 40 in 2018). [source]
• The 59 points were a Bears franchise record for an opener (previous: 45 vs. Green Bay in 1948) and the fourth-most in team history; it was also the most points Carolina has ever allowed. [source]
• Chicago led 31–24 at halftime after Caleb Williams threw for 196 first-half yards, including a 22-yard touchdown to Cole Kmet. [source]
• Carolina tied it 31–31 on Chuba Hubbard's second touchdown before the Bears pulled away with four unanswered scores. [source]
• Caleb Williams totaled four touchdowns: 269 passing yards with two TD passes plus 65 rushing yards and two rushing scores. [source]
• D'Andre Swift, fresh off a $33.75 million extension, ran 18 times for 124 yards and three touchdowns. [source]
• Kyle Monangai added 100 rushing yards, highlighted by a 61-yard touchdown run that made it 45–31. [source]
• A Tetairoa McMillan fumble set up Williams' touchdown pass to Jahdae Walker for a 52–31 lead with 6:27 left. [source]
• Bryce Young threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another; Jalen Coker had eight catches for a career-high 138 yards and two scores. [source]
• Left tackle Braxton Jones (upper body) and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (shoulder) left the game with third-quarter injuries. [source]

The chant after this one

Every win ends the same way: Johnson gathers the room, calls for quiet, and leads the four lines one at a time with the whole team answering. This was chant No. 14 of the Johnson era and the first of the 2026 season.

Game balls: Dillon Thieneman, The offensive line, D'Andre Swift. See the full tracker.

• This was the first Good, Better, Best of the 2026 season; Johnson said beforehand that nothing had discouraged him from bringing it back, calling it 'a great message' and 'a good rallying cry' that the players enjoy. [source]
• Johnson admitted the game 'was not pretty for 60 minutes' but said the team weathered the early storm and found its footing, and that the goal was simply to get on the plane with a win. [source]
• Game balls went to rookie safety Dillon Thieneman, the offensive line (accepted by guard Jonah Jackson on the unit's behalf) and running back D'Andre Swift; Johnson also gave a shout-out to the play-caller. [source]
• Johnson pointed to the three defensive takeaways as the pregame emphasis coming true, and did not go shirtless this time. [source]
• After Swift's brief speech, an unidentified player shouted 'I need it!' just before Johnson launched into the chant to break the huddle. [source]

Not sure what the chant is or where it comes from? Start with the overview, the origin, or the full timeline of every chant. Who has earned the most game balls is on the game-ball tracker.