COMPLETE RESULTS
Eric Edholm’s findings:
- The defense saved the day for the Bears in Caleb’s debut. The Bears scored touchdowns on defense and special teams, but none on offense, and fought the hard way out of a 17-0 deficit to secure the win at Soldier Field in Week 1. No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams struggled for most of the day, completing 14 of 29 passes for 92 yards and rarely looking confident behind the shaky Bears offensive line. Chicago had 28 or fewer yards on all but two drives and totaled just 11 first downs and 147 yards on offense. The running game didn’t help much either until late in the game. Williams’ two-point conversion to D’Andre Swift helped the Bears take a seven-point lead towards the end, after a Tyrique Stevenson‘s pick-six. Williams missed some open throws early on and conceded a 19-yard sack that put the Bears out of field goal range. As the game progressed, he loosened up a bit and Keenan Allen dropped a potential touchdown pass, but it’s clear this offense needs time to mature and grow. You have to give new Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson credit for his smart game plan, but the Bears also applied a lot of pressure on offense.
- Titans and Levis are wasting great opportunities to make big statements. The Titans didn’t get off to a great start, but they were the better of the two teams. They took a 17-0 lead in the first half, controlled the clock, and took the breath away from the Soldier Field crowd. But then things started to get tough as the Titans’ offense and special teams made key mistakes that allowed the Bears to get back into the game despite their inability to move the ball consistently. Quarterback Will Levis had a slow start, but the offense found its rhythm with the running game, as Tony Pollard broke free for a 26-yard TD run and was their best source of power. Levis showed some toughness and found Calvin Ridley on a big throw in each half, but he had only three catches on seven targets, with Levis subduing him after Ridley hit Jaylon Johnson deep. The pressure really got to Levis on Sunday, especially on a second-half strip sack and a brutal pick-six on the ensuing series. The game ended when Levis gave up an interception under pressure. It’s been a rough start to the 2024 season after showing some promise last season. New head coach Brian Callahan and coordinator Nick Holz will have to figure out how to minimize the pressure issues that sunk the offense in a game the Titans should have won.
- The Bears special teams and defense make mistakes but put up a great performance. For the Bears, it was a give and take, especially on special teams, but also on defense. The Titans had only 244 yards on offense, but managed two drives over 70 yards to extend the early three-point lead before Chicago came back late and forced three turnovers in the fourth quarter. The Bears also gave the Titans points early when Velus Jones botched a kickoff and kicked the ball directly to Tennessee, giving the Titans a field goal. Daniel Hardy was also guilty of an illegal block that ruined a beautiful punt return. But Hardy could be forgiven, as his blocked punt in his Chicago debut contributed to the Bears’ turnaround, with Jonathan Owens and scored a touchdown over 21 yards (which almost gave his Olympic wife a heart attack). The Bears defense was highly motivated after that and helped turn the game around. The special teams also gave the Bears points, DeAndre CarterThe 67-yard kickoff return resulted in their first points of the game.
Next-gen stats of the game: The Bears generated pressure on 47.4% of Will Levis’ dropbacks, the unit’s second-highest pressure rate in a game over the past three seasons. Three Bears defenders (Andrew Billings, DeMarcus Walker and Darrell Taylor) finished the game with five pressures, including three rushing pressures each, the most on the team. Levis struggled with pressure, completing 5 of 13 passes for 61 yards, including both interceptions.
NFL Research: Caleb Williams became the first first-round pick to start and win at quarterback in Week 1 since Houston’s David Carr in 2002. First-round quarterbacks are 4-14-1 in their Week 1 starts since 1970, with only Carr, Denver’s John Elway (1983) and New England’s Jim Plunkett (1971) being other winning players.
