What looked like a dream debut for Titans coach Brian Callahan turned into a catastrophic defeat on the first day of play.
The Titans nearly let the game slip away in a 24-17 loss to the Chicago Bears, blowing a 17-point lead largely by allowing a defensive touchdown and a special teams touchdown.
It was not a particularly good start for the Titans’ offense, which had signed running back Tony Pollard, receivers Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd, and linemen JC Latham and Lloyd Cushenberry during the offseason as part of Tennessee’s free agent spending spree worth more than $300 million.
The defense did its best and limited the Bears to just three field goals, two of which came on attacks that began inside the Titans’ 40-yard line.
But quarterback Will Levis and the Titans offense were completely stifled in the second half and Chicago scored 24 straight points to secure the win.
Here are 10 quick takeaways from the Titans’ loss:
Collapse in the second half — The Titans took a 17-3 lead into halftime thanks to a stifling defensive effort, a strong running attack and Will Levis’ touchdown pass to tight end Chig Okonkwo. The Bears managed just 50 yards of offense in the first half and failed to convert a single one of six third-down conversions. But the second half was a complete meltdown for the Titans on offense and special teams. Tennessee allowed two touchdowns – one on a blocked punt and one on an interception in the end zone – and Chicago scored 24 straight points to take the win. The Titans had three turnovers in the second half.
The insult evaporates — The Titans started off solid offensively, running for 115 yards on 16 attempts and totaling 179 yards en route to a 17-0 lead. Tennessee dominated time of possession and held a 18:56 to 11:04 lead. But the offense dried up completely in the second half. The Titans managed just 65 yards of offense, managed just four first downs, went 1 of 8 third downs and committed three turnovers – a lost fumble and two interceptions. The running game, which had looked so good for two quarters, produced 11 runs for 24 yards in the final two quarters.
Levis wobbles — In his first game under Callahan, Levis had perhaps the worst game of his two-year professional career. He did throw the touchdown pass to Okonkwo, but that was overshadowed by a lost fumble – on a blindside hit he didn’t see coming – and two interceptions. The first interception was a complete disaster, as Levis – while falling – tried to throw the ball out of bounds. Instead, Bears defensive back Tyrique Stevenson carried the interception 43 yards for the game-winning touchdown. Levis finished the game completing 19 of 32 passes for 127 yards and earning a quarterback rating of 52.5.
Failures of special teams — It goes without saying that it was not a promising start for special teams coordinator Colt Anderson and his unit. The big setback came early in the third quarter with the Titans leading 17-3 when Daniel Hardy blocked Ryan Stonehouse’s punt, allowing Jonathan Owens to carry the ball 21 yards into the end zone for a game-winning touchdown. But that wasn’t the only bad play by special teams. The Titans also allowed a 67-yard kickoff return that gave the Bears a field goal, as well as punt returns of 16 and 20 yards. Additionally, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine was flagged for an illegal block above the waist on a Titans punt return. The only positive was Julius Chestnut recovering a Bears kickoff fumble.
Missed connections — Wide receiver Calvin Ridley led the way among the Titans’ pass receivers with three 50-yard rushing runs, but there were some critical misthrows between Levis and Ridley. On one Titans drive in the first half, Levis threw a free pass from Ridley way over the middle, which nearly resulted in an interception. On another drive in the first half, Ridley was free way down the left sideline, but Levis’ throw went out of bounds. On a throw in the second half, Ridley ran way down the right side, but Levis threw an over-the-shoulder pass that didn’t go near him. It was clear that someone – either Levis or Ridley – had made a mistake.
What a ride — We commend the Titans for their two strong touchdown drives, where they gained 79 yards in eight plays to take a 10-0 lead and 83 yards in ten plays to take a 17-0 lead. The second touchdown drive was particularly impressive, where the Titans survived three penalties, converted three third downs (including a third-and-15 pass from Levis to Ridley), converted a fourth down and took 8:23 off the clock. Levis capped it all off with the 17-yard pass to Okonkwo that beat a Bears defender in the end zone. Everything looked so good at that point.
Confuse the child — Chicago’s rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was the best in his first NFL appearance, breaking a trend that had seen first-round picks go 0-14-1 in their debut games since 2002. But Williams certainly wasn’t the reason for Chicago’s victory, as he struggled against Dennard Wilson’s defense. Williams completed just 14 of 29 passes for 93 yards and zero touchdowns, earning a quarterback rating of 55.7. He led Chicago to 148 total yards, an average of 2.8 yards per play.
Sweat leaves its mark — Titans rookie defensive lineman T’Vondre Sweat wasn’t credited with a single tackle against the Bears, but he had a big impact on the interior of the defensive line — especially in the first half. Sweat’s power shut down a number of Bears running and passing plays, allowing his teammates to clean up tackles. Overall, the defensive line was one of the Titans’ strengths, limiting Chicago to 84 rushing yards on 22 carries (3.8 yards average). On one play, Jeffery Simmons’ pressure engaged three Chicago blockers and led to a sack of Harold Landry. On another play, Keondre Coburn’s interior pressure led to a sack of Sebastian Joseph-Day.
Penalty problems — The Titans were given eight 50-yard penalties. Four of those penalties occurred before the ball was snapped. There were three false starts – one each for JC Latham, Nicholas Petit-Frere and Okonkwo – and a defensive penalty for 12 men on the field.
Hopkins calm — Titans receiver DeAndre Hopkins was questionable due to a knee injury he suffered in late July. He was limited to about 15 plays, according to Callahan. He caught the only pass thrown to him for eight yards, extending his streak of consecutive games with at least one catch to 163. But Hopkins was not a factor in the game. That should change as Hopkins returns to form. Last season, he led the Titans with 75 catches for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns.
