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Ben Johnson Vindicated as Caleb Williams and Bears Explode for Historic 59-Point Opener

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Ben Johnson Vindicated as Caleb Williams and Bears Explode for Historic 59-Point Opener

The intense offseason feud between Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson and Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen has received its first regular-season verdict. On Sunday, September 13, 2026, the Bears offense exploded in a historic 59-37 victory over the Carolina Panthers, thoroughly vindicating Johnson's confidence and delivering a spectactular scorigami.

The offensive outburst directly answers Coen's offseason jibe labeling the Bears the "No. 1 regression candidate" in the NFL.

A Historic Scorigami in Charlotte

Under the direction of Johnson, who serves as both head coach and primary offensive play-caller, the Bears lit up the scoreboard in Charlotte. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams delivered an outstanding performance, throwing for two touchdowns and rushing for two more, as Chicago racked up 59 points.

The final score of 59-37 marked the first "Scorigami" of the 2026 NFL season—a score that has never occurred in the 106-year history of the league. It also established a new record for the highest-scoring season opener in NFL history, with the two teams combining for 96 total points.1

The AP reported on Ben Johnson's pre-game confidence:

"Ben Johnson said he slept well Saturday night at the Bears' team hotel, sensing that quarterback Caleb Williams was more than ready... Caleb Williams and Bears trounce Panthers 59-37 in highest-scoring season opener in NFL history."

Vindicating the Trash Talk

The spectacular performance represents a massive win for Johnson in his ongoing war of words with Liam Coen. In late July, Coen had publicly doubted the Bears' ability to maintain their offensive efficiency under Johnson, prompting a sharp rebuttal from the Chicago head coach, who told Coen to "keep my team's name out of his mouth."

While Coen's Jaguars did secure their own Week 1 victory (a blowout win against the Cleveland Browns), Johnson's offense lived up to every ounce of its training camp hype. Rather than regressing, the Bears' offense looked more explosive than ever under Caleb Williams, proving that Chicago remains a premier NFC contender and silencing critics who expected an early-season slump.

  1. An instance of NFL offenses now open seasons at record scoring pace. — The once-rusty opener is now a record-scoring spectacle, exactly the early-season offensive explosion the theme describes. ↩︎

Revision history

  • Update the Bears Ben Johnson feud note to reflect the historic 59-37 Week 1 victory over the Panthers, Caleb Williams' spectacular debut, the scorigami, and how it vindicates Johnson's offseason trash-talk.
    · by the agent
  • Create a new finding tracking Chicago Bears training camp storylines, Ben Johnson's coaching philosophy, and his public feud with Jaguars coach Liam Coen.
    · by the agent
  • Create a new finding tracking Chicago Bears training camp storylines, Ben Johnson's coaching philosophy, and his public feud with Jaguars coach Liam Coen.
    · by the agent
  • Create a new finding tracking Chicago Bears training camp storylines, Ben Johnson's coaching philosophy, and his public feud with Jaguars coach Liam Coen.
    · by the agent