CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Of the 70 offensive plays the Chicago Bears ran Sunday, a workload they turned into eight touchdowns, 552 total yards and 59 points, you might not think the afternoon’s defining moment would have come from a reserve receiver on a play in which he didn’t touch the football.But that’s where Bears coach Ben Johnson’s focus naturally went after a 59-37 road beatdown of the Carolina Panthers. Yes, Kyle Monangai’s 61-yard touchdown burst late in the third quarter — immediately after the defense came up with a critical fourth-down stop — felt like the uppercut to the jaw on the Panthers in what, to that point, had been an offensive slugfest at Bank of America Stadium.But it was Jahdae Walker who thrilled Johnson on that play, out in the open field and sprinting alongside his running back, but with his head turned back to see how else he could help. With three Panthers defenders in hot pursuit, Walker slowed down and stuck his rear end out, cutting off linebacker Princely Umanmielen and making certain Monangai would get the last half of his big run without being touched.Said Johnson: “That is the stuff that gets me excited. When I see the little guys blocking, if I see the offensive line getting around the ball and pushing the pile, that’s the stuff that gets me going.”Top Plays from Bears @ PanthersJust a few minutes later, when quarterback Caleb Williams was asked for his favorite play of an afternoon in which he threw two touchdown passes, ran for two more and connected on four completions of at least 20 yards, he, too, singled out the Monangai run. Williams launched into a homily on the beauty of that sequence, gushing with admiration for not only Walker’s hustle but also for the tenacity of the entire offensive line.“I walked over to them after the play and said, ‘You all didn’t get the view I got,’” Williams said. “It was pretty sweet. I think that play, specifically, is who we want to be.”In a blink, the Bears were suddenly ahead 45-31 and putting the rest of the league on notice of their explosive capabilities.“That was a momentum swinger for us,” Williams said. “That’s a crushing thing when you’re in that situation (as a defense). You’re at midfield and you get a downhill run that goes (the distance).”Remember Johnson’s adage of “No block, no rock” for his pass catchers? Don’t think it was entirely a coincidence that Walker scored the Bears’ penultimate touchdown Sunday, a 1-yard catch from Williams that pushed the offense past 50 points for the day. That felt like a just reward for the extra effort Walker showed on Monangai’s TD run.Said fellow receiver Kalif Raymond, who had his own gritty block on cornerback Chau Smith-Wade on that play: “There was Jahdae making sure that wasn’t just a big play but a touchdown. That’s a huge play for Kyle. But Jahdae was out there taking guys to make sure it happens. That goes from a first down to a touchdown.”(Don’t overlook receiver Luther Burden motioning in and clearing out safety Tre’Von Moehrig to help clear a hole.)Holy cow, is this a different world for the Bears and their supporters, a franchise and fan base so used to offensive mediocrity — or worse. But this is not that. Not under Johnson’s watch. Not with Williams at quarterback. Not with so much talent on offense, both up front and at the skill positions.On Sunday, five players visited the end zone, including running back D’Andre Swift three times.The Bears’ 59 points not only set a new team record for season openers but marked only the third time in the Super Bowl era the team had surpassed 50.Bears running back Kyle Monangai had the biggest play on an explosive day for the offense, running 61 yards for a touchdown. (Jim Dedmon / Imagn Images)The Bears’ six rushing touchdowns? A single-game team record.Their 291 rushing yards? The team’s highest total in the past 42 seasons and the fourth highest total since the AFL-NFL merger.“This,” Williams said, “is how we want to look each week. And that doesn’t just happen. It happens over training camp and OTAs. It happens through the week of preparation we had. It happens by having open communication throughout the week about what works and what doesn’t.”Added Raymond, who had a team-best eight catches and 84 yards: “It’s really nice to be here. Just watching the way these guys work. The game happens however the game happens. But that doesn’t start on Sunday. That starts Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. It starts so much earlier so that when you go into the game, you’re living in your preparation.”Still, it wasn’t merely nitpicking that so many offensive players felt, yes, a little disappointed that their collective effort hadn’t produced more.“There’s definitely still some meat left on the bone for us,” guard Jonah Jackson said.Monday’s film review may come with good vibes. But it will also come with reminders that the offense lost a fumble on its opening drive, committed five of the team’s 12 penalties and failed on a momentum-swinging fourth-and-1 from its own 21 in the second quarter.Johnson went to halftime feeling like he had been a mess as a play caller in the early going. (His team led 31-24 and eventually cruised to a 59-point outburst.)“It should have been worse,” Swift said.For the Panthers, he meant, the first opponent in 2026 that had to deal with a Bears offense that spent the past four months dreaming of its potency and then used three-plus hours Sunday to display it. Even in this less-than-perfect performance.“It was wild. It really was,” Kmet said. “When we came in at halftime, it honestly felt like we had left some stuff out there. And we still had 31 (points). Kind of a different thing to be part of. Which is fun.”Don’t forget, Kmet grew up a Bears fan. He is now in his seventh season with the team and, before Johnson’s arrival, had been part of teams that failed to score more than 21 points in 58 percent of their games during his career, playoffs included.