How we grade the Chicago Bears vs. the Carolina Panthers

The Chicago Bears are back, and they made sure the offense was here to start.

In a shootout, the Bears were blazing on offense. The defense, though, left a little to be desired.

Here's how we graded the Chicago Bears in their season opener against the Carolina Panthers.

Caleb Williams

It wasn't perfect, but it was really close.

Williams was dynamic. He was letting passes rip all over the field. He had a few misses, but not to the extent he had last season.

Williams' touchdown pass to Cole Kmet was a thing of beauty. He placed his pass over Kmet's shoulder and in between two Panthers' defenders. It was a display of accuracy the Bears wanted to see from their quarterback in Year 3, especially as the offense took another step in Year 2 under Ben Johnson.

He was also fast. Williams had two rushing touchdowns where he flew past defenders. His 29-yard touchdown run at the end of the first half was exactly what he promised when he said he came back into the season having lost 10 to 15 pounds in an attempt to be faster.

Williams also showed maturity when he went back to Luther Burden III, even after Burden's early fumble.

Grade: A

D'Andre Swift

The Bears' running back got paid this week. He showed why the Bears were wise to invest in him.

With his three-year extension in hand, Swift was explosive in the running game like he said he'd be. He was also powerful. There was so much versatility in his running style, and it served the Bears' offense well. He scored two touchdowns on the day, both in short-yardage situations.

He was also showing off his skills as a blocker. There were a few blitzes that Swift picked up, and that gave Williams time to be great.

Grade: A

Kyle Monangai

If you thought Swift was good, his understudy was right with him.

Monangai raced for a 61-yard touchdown. He also broke through for a few big runs and was active in the passing game. In an underrated sense, Monangai was stellar in pass protection, too.

These two are a fantastic one-two punch. They both went over 100 yards in a dominant rushing performance.

Grade: A

Bears special teams

The Bears' special teams did not make crippling blunders. Instead, they had a handful of energy plays.

Jahdae Walker caught a touchdown. He was arguably more excited about the hit he put on a Panther during a kickoff return. Dayo Odeyingbo didn't have a great defensive game, but he did block an extra point. Rome Odunze, a starting receiver, receoverd an onside kick to end any chance at a comeback.

These are plays Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower wanted to see from his unit as they attempted to win in every phase of the game.

Grade: B

Bears' defense

The Bears' offense was outstanding. The defense was not as outstanding.

Carolina's offense was stellar all day. The Panthers hung around, and were either tied or within a score of the Bears most of the game. The Bears pass rush got an early sack on Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, but he was highly effective after that. He had completions of 51 and 48 yards. Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson struggled in coverage as the pass rush struggled to get home.

Still, there were bright spots.

Rookie Malik Muhammad had his first-career interception. Dillon Thieneman looked solid at key moments. They forced three turnovers on the day.

But, the Bears matched the most points scored in a season opener with 45 and were not winning comfortably. That's a reflection of some defensive struggles.

Grade: D

Bears