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.”
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.
See AP’s full NFL coverage here
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson looks on during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Scott Kinser)
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)
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) looks to pass during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Scott Kinser)
MADRID (AP) — Raphinha scored a hat trick as Barcelona earned yet another big win on Wednesday, routing Racing Santander 7-2 for its sixth victory in six Spanish League matches.
Gabriel Jesus and Lamine Yamal also found the net for Barcelona, which has scored at least five goals in five of its seven matches across all competitions this season.
In the English League Cup, Manchester United was stunned 3-2 by Brighton after squandering a two-goal lead to crash out in round three.
In the Europa League, Benfica beat AC Milan 2-0 on the road in the first round of the league stage.
With his hat trick, Raphinha took his league-leading tally to nine goals in six matches. The Brazil forward has scored a goal in all but one game this season.
“Happy for the goals and for the victory, which is the most important thing,” Raphinha said. “The players have the hunger to always want more. It’s a mentality to always try to score more goals and to create more scoring opportunities.”
João Cancelo also netted for Barcelona, which was helped by an own-goal from Racing’s Asier Villalibre. Maguette Gueye and Yassir Zabiri scored for the visitor.
Barcelona has only failed to score less than four goals this season in a 2-0 win against Athletic Bilbao.
Yamal had a goal disallowed for offside, missed a penalty and hit the post before finally scoring late for Barcelona.
The La Liga champion has also crushed Elche, Rayo Vallecano and Valencia in the league, and Feyenoord in the Champions League.
Hansi Flick's team has outscored opponents 33-7 in seven games across all competitions. Barcelona has a three-point league lead over Real Madrid, which won at Elche on Tuesday.
Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García was replaced by Wojciech Szczesny at halftime because of an apparent injury. Szczesny's blunder led to a Racing goal after the goalkeeper tried to control the ball inside the area and was robbed in front of the net.
Atletico Madrid routed visiting Osasuna 4-0 with goals by Jonathan David, Lee Kang-In, Robin Le Normand and Álex Baena.
It was the second win in a row for Diego Simeone's team, which moved to third. Osasuna has lost three in a row.
Sevilla jumped to fourth by winning 1-0 at Deportivo La Coruña with a second-half goal by Miguel Sierra. Sevilla has won two in a row. Deportivo stayed seventh.
The game between Levante and Athletic Bilbao was postponed because of heavy rain in the city of Valencia.
Manchester United was booed at Old Trafford after it fell to a third defeat of the season, and second in as many games following Sunday’s loss to Manchester City.
“We had the game exactly where we wanted it and and let it get away from us in a big way,” United coach Michael Carrick told Sky Sports. “We can’t accept that as a group. I take responsibility for it.”
United led 2-0 after 10 minutes through goals from Shea Lacey and Mason Mount. But Brighton rallied with Charalampos Kostoulas pulling one back before halftime, and Pascal Gross and Maxim De Cuyper secured victory after the break.
Defeat means United has suffered elimination from the League Cup at the earliest stage for the second season in a row after being knocked out by fourth-tier Grimsby last year.
Benfica beat AC Milan in the highlight match in the Europa League.
Dodi Lukébakio and Jakub Kaminski scored a goal in each half for the Portuguese club.
Sparta Prague won 4-1 at Ararat-Armenia for the round's biggest victory.
Sunderland beat visiting AZ Alkmaar 1-0 in its first European match in more than seven decades. Lyon won 2-1 at Anderlecht, while Bayer Leverkusen defeated visiting Celje 2-0.
Celta Vigo's winless start to the season reached seven matches after a 1-0 loss at Omonia.
See AP’s full soccer coverage here
Benfica players celebrate at the end of the Europa League opening phase soccer match between AC Milan and Benfica in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
Brighton's Maxim De Cuyper, front right, scores his side's third goal during the English League Cup third round soccer match between Manchester United and Brighton and Hove Albion in Manchester, England, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
Brighton's Maxim De Cuyper, right, celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the English League Cup third round soccer match between Manchester United and Brighton and Hove Albion in Manchester, England, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
Racing's Juan Carlos Arana vies for the ball with Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, right, during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Racing de Santander in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Barcelona's Raphinha celebrates with Gavi, right, after scoring his side's fifth goal from the penalty spot during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Racing de Santander in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
