Chicago, IL—-Quarterback Caleb Williams hit DJ Moore on a 34-yard touchdown pass early in the game, setting the tone for a dominant Chicago Bears performance. From there, the Bears cruised to a 36-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers, with Williams showcasing his best game yet.
Williams threw for 304 yards and two touchdowns, both to Moore, who finished with 105 receiving yards against his former team. The Bears, now 3-2, claimed their second consecutive win after a two-game losing streak, largely thanks to the two players they acquired in a 2023 blockbuster trade with the Panthers.
Running back D’Andre Swift continued his strong play with 120 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown, following up on another impressive performance the previous week.
“This is the way we want to play,” said Williams. “It’s the vision we have for the offense and the team. We just have to keep it going.”
Williams dismantled a depleted Carolina defense, completing 20 of 29 passes with no interceptions, earning a career-best passer rating of 126.2.
“He’s growing with every game,” said Bears head coach Matt Eberflus. “You can see his progress. He’s been meeting every challenge since the summer, and he’s got to keep leveling up.”
Panthers coach Dave Canales praised Williams’ ability to extend plays. “We had him under pressure several times, but he found ways to escape and still make plays,” Canales said.
The 2023 trade that sent DJ Moore and the Panthers’ first-round pick to Chicago now looks even more pivotal. The Bears used that pick to select Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner from USC, and he’s proving to be a game-changer.
Moore had five catches, including two big touchdown grabs—one for 34 yards in the first quarter and another for 30 yards just before halftime.
“It took a few weeks, but we finally got the deep passing game going,” Moore said. “When it clicks, it feels great, and today was one of those days.”
Swift contributed 73 rushing yards and a touchdown, while also adding 47 receiving yards, following his 165-yard performance the week before.
Rookie running back Roschon Johnson added two touchdowns on the ground, including a fourth-quarter score that led to an on-field altercation, resulting in the ejection of Chicago’s Matt Pryor and Carolina’s Jaycee Horn. The Bears attempted a two-point conversion afterward, but the pass fell incomplete.
The Bears’ defense also came up big, with Kevin Byard grabbing his 29th career interception and Gervon Dexter recording both a sack and a fumble recovery. Chicago extended their home winning streak to eight games, the longest active streak in the NFL, and their best run at Soldier Field since 2005-06.
On the Panthers’ side, veteran quarterback Andy Dalton struggled in his third start since replacing Bryce Young. Dalton completed 18 of 28 passes for just 136 yards, with one interception and three sacks. Young came in late in the game, completing 4 of 7 passes for 58 yards, but Canales confirmed Dalton would start next week.
Chuba Hubbard provided a bright spot for Carolina, rushing for 97 yards and a touchdown, which gave the Panthers an early 7-0 lead. However, it was all Bears from that point on.
Up Next:
Panthers: Plays Atlanta next Sunday at home.
Bears: Play Jacksonville in London next Sunday.
