Caleb Williams and the Chicago
Bears have moved on from Week 1's offensive show
[September 17, 2026]
By JAY COHEN
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears put
together a dazzling offensive performance in their season opener.
But that was last weekend.
“We haven’t put up any points this week,” coach Ben Johnson said
Wednesday.
It doesn't sound as if overconfidence is going to be an issue for
Chicago when it faces the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in its home
opener at Soldier Field. The Vikings have won six in a row going
back to last season, including a 39-22 victory over Green Bay in
Week 1.
“You have that one, it’s really like 12 hours, they say 24, but it’s
like 12 hours and then from there you move on to the next team,”
Williams said.
Led by Williams and D'Andre Swift, the Bears beat the Carolina
Panthers 59-37 on Sunday in the highest-scoring opener in NFL
history. Williams passed for two touchdowns and ran for two TDs, and
Swift rushed for 124 yards and three touchdowns.
The Bears rolled to 291 yards rushing and 552 yards overall. But
that's all in the past now.
“This is a week-to-week business,” offensive lineman Jonah Jackson
said. “We know we have to perform week in and week out and we’re
ready for it.”
Swift was selected as the NFC Offensive Player of the Week, but he
was listed as limited for Wednesday's practice because of an
ankle/knee injury. Right tackle Darnell Wright was held out because
of a knee injury, and running back Kyle Monangai (hamstring),
cornerback Malik Muhammad (ankle) and defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo
(shoulder) were all listed as limited.
Swift said he was fine. He also was ready to put Week 1 in the
rearview mirror.
“It’s over with already,” he said. “So what we’re doing in Week 2,
that’s a whole different approach now. We got a big task ahead of
us, one that we're looking forward to, but Week 1 over.”
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Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) passes during the
first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in
Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)
The 24-year-old Williams looked decisive in the
first game of his second season in Johnson's offense. He was 21 for
29 for 269 yards through the air. He also rushed for 65 yards on 10
attempts.
The performance raised the outside expectations for Williams and
Chicago a year after the Bears won the NFC North for the first time
since 2018. But Williams dismissed the idea of any carryover
confidence from the offensive display against Carolina.
“The confidence aspect, it doesn’t come from going 1-0 the first
week,” he said. “That’s not where it comes from, for at least myself
and I would say for this team. But for myself, it comes from the
work, it comes from the belief in my teammates. It comes from the
belief of my coach. And that’s where it stems from.”
Williams and the Bears are playing their first home game since they
lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs
on Jan. 18. They went 7-3 at home last season.
“We talked in the preseason during training camp just how powerful
it is to play at Soldier and we need to come away with home
victories if we want this season to go the way we want it to,”
Johnson said.
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