Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers made history on the opening week of the 2026 NFL season.
Chicago’s 59-37 road win in Charlotte was the highest-scoring Week 1 game in NFL history, surpassing the previous record of 88 points, which was set in 2018 following the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 48-40 win over New Orleans Saints.
The 59 points were the most allowed by the Panthers in team history as Bears quarterback Caleb Williams threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns, while he also ran for 65 yards and two more scores.
The 59-37 encounter also delivered NFL scorigami; a final score that has never happened before in the league's history.
The total of 96 points is the most in a single match since the 105-point thriller between the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs during the 2018 regular season, and ranks 12th for the highest-scoring game in NFL history.
Only five matches in NFL history have surpassed the 100-point barrier.
The first was all the way back in 1948 when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers 63-40, and it was a record that stood for 18 years until the Washington Redskins toppled the New York Giants 72-41 in November 1966.
The fixture between Washington and New York remains the highest-scoring match in NFL history, and it's a record that's remained largely unthreatened.
The 21st century has witnessed three matches exceed the 100-point barrier: Cincinnati Bengals 58-48 Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints 52-49 New York Giants and the aforementioned blockbuster clash between Los Angeles and Kansas City.
Highest-scoring NFL matches
Points | Score | Winning team | Losing team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
113 | 72–41 | Washington Redskins | New York Giants | 27th November 1966 |
106 | 58–48 | Cincinnati Bengals | Cleveland Browns | 28th November 2004 |
105 | 54–51 | Los Angeles Rams | Kansas City Chiefs | 19th November 2018 |
103 | 63–40 | San Francisco 49ers | Brooklyn Dodgers | 21st November 1948 |
101 | 52–49 | New Orleans Saints | New York Giants | 1st November 2015 |
52–49 | Oakland Raiders | Houston Oilers | 22nd December 1963 | |
99 | 51–48 | Denver Broncos | Dallas Cowboys | 6th October 2013 |
51–48 (OT) | Seattle Seahawks | Kansas City Chiefs | 27th November 1983 | |
98 | 54–44 | San Diego Chargers | Pittsburgh Steelers | 8th December 1985 |
63–35 | Chicago Cardinals | New York Giants | 17th October 1948 | |
97 | 70–27 | Los Angeles Rams | Baltimore Colts | 22nd October 1950 |
96 | 59-37 | Chicago Bears | Carolina Panthers | 13th September 2026 |
51–45 | Cleveland Browns | Cincinnati Bengals | 16th September 2007 | |
51–45 (OT) | New York Jets | Miami Dolphins | 1st September 1986 |
