Bears-Panthers was highest-scoring Week 1 game in NFL history

Published September 13, 2026 05:49 PM The Bears and Panthers made some history on Sunday afternoon. Chicago’s 59-37 road win was the highest-scoring Week 1 game in NFL history. The previous record was 88 points, which came in a 48-40 Buccaneers win over the Saints during the 2018 season. It was also the first time that any NFL game ended in a 59-37 score. The 96 points were also the most total points in a game for both the Bears and the Panthers and it was the highest-scoring game in the NFL since the Rams and Chiefs combined for 105 points in a 2018 game. It was not the most points that the Bears have ever scored in a game. They put up 61 points in regular season games during the 1965 and 1980 seasons and they scored 73 points in the 1940 NFL championship game.