Wk 1 · 2026
Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers — Sun, Sep 13
Sun, Sep 13 ·
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
· Fox FINAL
Weather
No forecast yet. Forecasts reach about 16 days ahead, so this fills in nearer the game. A seasonal average printed here would look exactly like a forecast, which is why there is not one.
at
1:00pET
CHI -3 · total 47.5 DraftKings opened +2.5 · 0.5 toward CHI
Ratings differential CHI by 2.0
What is at stake
An NFC game between two divisions. It decides neither division, but conference record is the tiebreaker that follows head-to-head, and both of these are chasing the same 7 NFC playoff places. Division standings.
What the ratings imply
The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers:
The Gridiron King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus
1.7 points of home field.
It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site
compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026
games are played it is last season’s measurement of two rosters that have
been through a draft and a free-agency window since.
Efficiency · 2026 ratings
Efficiency margin
Offense
Defense
Points / game
Points allowed / game
Opponent-adjusted ratings from The Gridiron King’s 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.
Team stats
The box-score store these rows are built from has not been produced for this league yet, so no preview carries points and yards for and against. The form, trend and series blocks below are built from this site’s own files and are not affected.
Bears form
L 7-31at GBW 23-12vs NYJW 27-7vs PHIL 3-9vs MINW 59-37at CAR
2026 season
Panthers form
W 32-26vs DETL 18-21at CLEW 34-3at ATLL 37-59vs CHI
2026 season
Bears this season
Straight up3-2 · 60% (5 games)
Against the spread3-2 · 60% (5 games)
Over / under1-4 · 20% (5 games)
Panthers this season
Straight up2-2 · 50% (4 games)
Against the spread2-2 · 50% (4 games)
Over / under2-2 · 50% (4 games)
Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.
Common opponents · 8
| Opponent | Bears | Panthers |
|---|---|---|
| Vikings NFC | vs L 3-9 preview | at Wk 13 · scheduled preview |
| Eagles NFC | vs W 27-7 preview | at Wk 6 · scheduled preview |
| Packers NFC | at L 7-31 preview | at Wk 8 · scheduled preview |
| Falcons NFC | at Wk 6 · scheduled preview | at W 34-3 preview |
| Seahawks NFC | at Wk 8 · scheduled preview | vs Wk 17 · scheduled preview |
| Buccaneers NFC | vs Wk 9 · scheduled preview | vs Wk 7 · scheduled preview |
| Saints NFC | vs Wk 11 · scheduled preview | at Wk 10 · scheduled preview |
| Lions NFC | at Wk 12 · scheduled preview | vs W 32-26 preview |
Open these two in the
comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.
Series history · 2006–2026
Since 2006, Bears leads 8–2 · Bears has won the last 5
10 meetings
in 2006–2026 · average margin
8.5 points toward Bears
| Yr | Date | Result | Site | Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2026-09-13 | Bears 59 — 37 Panthers | at CAR | Bears |
| 2024 | 2024-10-06 | Panthers 10 — 36 Bears | at CHI | Bears |
| 2023 | 2023-11-09 | Panthers 13 — 16 Bears | at CHI | Bears |
| 2020 | 2020-10-18 | Bears 23 — 16 Panthers | at CAR | Bears |
| 2017 | 2017-10-22 | Panthers 3 — 17 Bears | at CHI | Bears |
| 2014 | 2014-10-05 | Bears 24 — 31 Panthers | at CAR | Panthers |
| 2012 | 2012-10-28 | Panthers 22 — 23 Bears | at CHI | Bears |
| 2011 | 2011-10-02 | Panthers 29 — 34 Bears | at CHI | Bears |
| 2010 | 2010-10-10 | Bears 23 — 6 Panthers | at CAR | Bears |
| 2008 | 2008-09-14 | Bears 17 — 20 Panthers | at CAR | Panthers |
Bears leaders 2026 regular season
| Passing | Caleb Williams QB #18 | 36/55, 407 YDS, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| Tyson Bagent QB #17 | 30/43, 322 YDS, 1 INT | |
| Rushing | Kyle Monangai RB #25 | 60 CAR, 324 YDS, 3 TD |
| D'Andre Swift RB #4 | 69 CAR, 311 YDS, 3 TD | |
| Caleb Williams QB #18 | 15 CAR, 107 YDS, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Rome Odunze WR #15 | 14 REC, 233 YDS |
| Kalif Raymond WR #14 | 21 REC, 220 YDS, 1 TD | |
| Luther Burden III WR #10 | 19 REC, 219 YDS, 1 TD | |
| Colston Loveland TE #84 | 11 REC, 91 YDS |
Defense
| Tackles | Dillon Thieneman S #31 | 30 |
| Devin Bush LB #12 | 19 | |
| Tyrique Stevenson CB #29 | 18 | |
| Sacks | Dayo Odeyingbo DE #55 | 3 |
| Montez Sweat DE #98 | 2 | |
| Austin Booker DE #94 | 2 | |
| Interceptions | T.J. Edwards LB #53 | 1 |
| Malik Muhammad CB #24 | 1 | |
| Dillon Thieneman S #31 | 1 |
Panthers leaders 2026 regular season
| Passing | Bryce Young QB #9 | 101/162, 1268 YDS, 9 TD, 2 INT |
| Kenny Pickett QB #12 | 0/1, 0 YDS | |
| Rushing | Chuba Hubbard RB #30 | 61 CAR, 306 YDS, 3 TD |
| AJ Dillon RB #28 | 17 CAR, 43 YDS | |
| Jonathon Brooks RB #25 | 9 CAR, 30 YDS | |
| Receiving | Tetairoa McMillan WR #4 | 26 REC, 385 YDS, 2 TD |
| Jalen Coker WR #18 | 18 REC, 222 YDS, 2 TD | |
| Darren Waller TE #88 | 13 REC, 148 YDS, 2 TD | |
| Brycen Tremayne WR #87 | 6 REC, 115 YDS |
Defense
| Tackles | Devin Lloyd LB #55 | 31 |
| Bobby Okereke LB #58 | 26 | |
| Akayleb Evans CB #29 | 20 | |
| Sacks | Princely Umanmielen LB #3 | 3 |
| Jaelan Phillips LB #5 | 2 | |
| Trevis Gipson LB #52 | 1 | |
| Interceptions | Devin Lloyd LB #55 | 2 |
| Bobby Okereke LB #58 | 1 |
These are regular-season totals for
the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year,
taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's
roster, so a leader who has since signed elsewhere, been traded or retired still
appears against the year he earned it; the
roster
pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is.
A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game.