I will always believe in Ben Johnson. No matter what. I would not want anyone else coaching this Bears team.

I did not, however, believe in Ben Johnson to the tune of 59 points scored in the opener — a new Bears record. Incredible performance by the offense. The defense needs a little work. Let’s get to the grades:

Quarterback: A

Caleb Williams looked in control all day long. There was the 22-yard touchdown pass to Cole Kmet that made it 21-7. Then there was the 24-yard laser to Luther Burden III that could not have been thrown better.

Williams was comfortable taking the check-down all day long, which led to Kalif Raymond leading the team with eight catches for 84 impressive yards. Oh — and Williams ran in two touchdowns as well from nine and 29 yards out. He couldn’t have started Year 3 much better. Four thousand-plus yards incoming.

Running backs: A+

Swiffttttttttt and Monangaaaaai. D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai both had big smiles on their faces, starting the season in style and combining for 224 yards on 28 carries. Monangai broke the game open with his 61-yard touchdown run. Swift looked dominant, making four would-be tacklers whiff on a 32-yard run cutting down and across the field. They also combined for three catches for 34 yards. That is 258 yards of production if you are keeping score at home.

Offensive line: B+

They battled. Garrett Bradbury looked overwhelmed at times. For as much as Bradbury is an excellent leader and understands the offense, physically he has some limitations being undersized (6-3, 300 pounds). Braxton Jones was in and out of the lineup fighting a couple of minor injuries. Theo Benedet held his own when Jones was out. Credit to Jones for fighting his way back on the field. Williams was sacked twice, but how can you complain about anything offensively when you score 59 points?

Wide receivers & tight ends: A

Did I just give this group an A when Colston Loveland did not have a catch? Yes, I did. That shows the breadth of weaponry in the Bears’ armory.

Kalif Raymond started incredibly strong as Williams’ safety blanket. Kmet made a fantastic catch under duress on a perfect Williams throw. Luther Burden III blocked his butt off and caught all five balls thrown his way for 63 yards. Rome Odunze had maybe the catch of the day, pulling a Williams bomb off the back of Panthers cornerback Will Lee III. Jahdae Walker only had one catch, but he also had one great “butt block,” as highlighted by Johnson after the win. This group is going to be super fun to watch all season long.

Defensive line & linebackers: D

Montez Sweat had a sack. Kentavius Street had a tackle for loss. That was it in the backfield for the Bears in their attempts to get Panthers quarterback Bryce Young to the ground. Running back Chuba Hubbard averaged just under five yards per carry, while AJ Dillon did well in his late-game opportunities.

The Bears simply did not get enough pressure. Dayo Odeyingbo gets a lot of credit for coming back from an Achilles tear, but he was the same Odeyingbo as last year. Austin Booker was a non-factor. This group did very little to take pressure off the Bears’ secondary.

Secondary: C

Dillon Thieneman and Malik Muhammad II get the credit for lifting this group out of the doldrums. Thieneman was fantastic, leading the Bears in tackles (10). He was all over the field, stepping up both in the run and in coverage. Muhammad had an impressive interception, diving like a wide receiver would to make the catch.

Meanwhile, Jaylon Johnson is still trying to find the speed and cover ability that he lost from the core muscle injury that sidelined him most of last year. Tyrique Stevenson got beat up top by Jalen Coker for a 51-yard touchdown pass.

Special Teams: B

Tory Taylor had his best punt to date. The “banana ball” took forever to come down, and when it did, Jimmy Horn Jr. let it slip right through his hands. Kaden Davis was there to recover the fumble and the Bears were back in business.

Cairo Santos had a rough day on kickoffs, missing the landing zone twice and giving the Panthers great field position. Santos did make his one field goal attempt, a 40-yarder. He also hit all eight of his extra points. The field goal came after the muffed punt. Three points put on the board by special teams basically all on their own.

Coaching: A

Johnson had his team ready. The Bears were in better shape to handle the heat than the Panthers, who have been training it all summer. He also had his quarterback ready and was in his playbook bag all day long, dialing up lay-up throws for Williams, who is getting better and better at following the directions of his coach.

Johnson will get criticized for going for it on fourth-and-1 at his own 20-yard line, but I think we will all live with whatever he decides to do. He believed in his offense and his defense. It didn’t work out. This time.

Most importantly, “Good, Better, Best” is back. Keep the postgame locker room celebrations going.