CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In the minutes before Bears coach Ben Johnson led the team in their “Good, Better, Best” cheer Sunday, he handed out three game balls to celebrate their 59-37 win. One went to rookie safety Dillon Thieneman, the other to the offensive line and the third to leading rusher D’Andre Swift.
“He had 124 [yards] on the ground, three touchdowns — and a brand new [bleeping] contract,” the coach said.
Two days after agreeing to a three-year, $33.75 million extension, Swift became the first Bears player since 2016 to rush for more than 100 yards and three scores in a game.
“Grateful to be able to keep going with these guys,” he said. “My mindset wasn’t going to change, whether there was something done [with the contract] or not.”
He ran for half the Bears’ six rushing touchdowns, which included a 61-yarder from Kyle Monangai and scrambles of 29 and nine yards by quarterback Caleb Williams.
Swift had two one-yard touchdown runs and put the cap on the Bears’ third-highest regular season scoring game ever, running for a 28-yard score with 3:40 to play.
Monangai, though, had the back-breaker, rattling off his long touchdown run one play after the Bears forced a fourth-and-three incompletion with a minute left in the third quarter. He had 10 carries for 100 yards.
“What a start,” Monangai said.
None for Loveland
Perhaps the most surprising part of the Bears’ offensive explosion? Tight end Colston Loveland wasn’t part of it.
He wasn’t targeted until the third quarter, and even then, did not catch either of the two passes thrown his way. Williams threw behind Loveland on a crossing route early in the third quarter and then incomplete to him on what would have been an 11-yard touchdown later on the same drive.
“There was one that should’ve been a touchdown to Colston that I missed, threw it a little bit too far in front of him,” Williams said. “Just small things like that. You don’t get those opportunities too often, where you get the perfect coverage with the perfect route. Got to hit those. Those are important.”
Notes
• Kicker Cairo Santos left two squib kicks short of the landing zone, giving the Panthers the ball at the 40 each time.
• Kalif Raymond led all Bears receivers with eight catches and 84 yards. The 10-year veteran is one-third of the way to last year’s receptions total.
• Defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo blocked an extra point with four minutes to play.
• Left tackle Braxton Jones left the game briefly with a back injury but returned. He was replaced in the interim by Theo Benedet.