Final Score: Bears 24 Titans 17
The Bears somehow managed to squeak out of Week 1 with a victory under their belt after an ugly 24-17 win over Will Levis and the Titans. Despite offensive troubles, there are many positives to take from the game from a defensive and special teams perspective.
Bright Spots
Defensive Line Was Great
The largest worry that I had for the 2024 Bears heading into Week 1 was the defensive line. Not only was the group serviceable against the Titans; it was great. The group, led by newly acquired DE Darrell Taylor, created consistent pressure all game long. Chicago finished the week 4th in PFF pass rush grade and generated 20 QB pressures compared to Tennessee’s 12.
Secondary Looked As-Advertised
While the defensive line stepped up on Sunday, the secondary may have outplayed them. Coming in with lofty expectations, the unit looked exactly how you would hope. Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson both nabbed interceptions, Stevenson’s a pick six. Johnson was phenomenal, receiving the highest PFF coverage grade (92.0) among all NFL CBs this week. He only allowed one reception, which went for a whopping -2 yards. Further, as a whole, the Bears defense ranked 2nd in the league in PFF coverage grade. The secondary was elite and I can’t wait to see what they continue to do throughout the season.
The Team is 1-0
My last bright spot is simply the fact that they won. This was a game that the Bears had no business winning. The offense generated 0 touchdowns and only 149 total yards. The fact that the defense and special teams units were impressive enough to will the team to a victory says a lot about how far the Bears could go this season if the offense improves.
Glaring Issues
Offensive Line Troubles
While the d-line pleasantly surprised, the offensive line thoroughly disappointed me. They didn’t do Caleb Williams any favors, surrendering immediate pressure multiple times. I was especially unimpressed with C Coleman Shelton, but Nate Davis also played poorly enough in the coaches’ eyes to institute a change at RG. Allowing plays to be completely blown up (several times on 1st down) is devastating to a drive and rhythm of a young quarterback. This needs to improve.
Velus Still Returning Kicks?!
Velus Jones Jr. was returning kicks again and it went just about how I would’ve predicted. His muffed return late in the first quarter sucked all of the life out of Soldier Field and resulted in an extra 3 Tennessee points. I’m not sure why Jones Jr. was still getting reps at kick returner after his struggles last season, but I’m glad to think that his days as return man are probably over.
Offense Not In Sync
Obviously, the offense was not in sync on Sunday. The line was bad, but Williams and the rest of the group could’ve done more to overcome this. The game was Williams’ NFL debut, and I think that he made a lot of mistakes that will seize to occur in the future. His missed throw to a wide-open Keenan Allen for a would-be touchdown is going to be a score 9 times out of 10; I think that first-game jitters got the best of him.
In addition to Caleb, Allen uncharacteristically dropped an easy TD, and rookie WR Rome Odunze struggled in his debut. In the first year of a new offense with many new faces, a game like this is to be expected. It is comforting to know that things will only begin to run more smoothly from here on out.
Standout Performers
Darrell Taylor
I don’t quite understand why Darrell Taylor isn’t getting more love following Sunday’s victory. In a game where the pass rush actually made a difference, Taylor was the main catalyst behind this. The newly acquired DE recorded 2 sacks and always seemed to be in the action. If he can continue similar kinds of production, the defensive line will greatly benefit.
Jaylon Johnson
Bears fans have become accustomed to Jaylon Johnson’s prowess, but this does not mean that it should go unnoticed. As previously stated, Johnson was quite literally the best cornerback in the league this week, finishing with the highest PFF coverage grade. It felt fitting for the final Titans’ final two plays to both be blown up by Johnson (a TFL open-field tackle and an interception). Johnson is a star and the cornerstone of this talented defense.
Were the Keys to the Game Met?
While the Bears failed to put together a good first drive (3 plays for 7 yards), they did achieve my second key by making the Titans one-dimensional on offense. I thought that Chicago had a good chance to shut down Tony Pollard and the run game, but it was actually the secondary’s domination of Will Levis and the talented Tennessee wide receivers that did the trick. To be fair to the front-seven, however, the Titans couldn’t do much of anything in the second half, run or pass. They only recorded 4 first downs after halftime.
In addition, one of the keys to the game for the Titans was to protect Will Levis. I noted how Levis was especially bad under pressure last season and emphasized the importance of keeping him comfortable in the pocket. Tennessee was not able to do that and the young quarterback ended up making one of the worst throws I’ve ever seen while getting taken down by a sprawling DeMarcus Walker on Tyrique Stevenson’s house call.
Key Drive of the Game
The drive of the game might not even technically qualify as a “drive”, but I’m making an exception. The biggest play of this game occurred early in the second quarter. Jaylon Johnson’s first down TFL led to a quick Tennessee punt attempt. First-year Bears Daniel Hardy and Jonathan Owens ingratiated themselves with the fanbase, the former by blocking the punt, and the latter by scooping up the loose football and carrying it to the end zone. Nothing had gone right for Chicago prior to this play; it brought the deficit back down to 7 points and got the crowd involved. This play was the turning point in the game.