Takeaways From the Bears Comeback Victory Over the Titans
The Chicago Bears came out victorious in their Week One matchup against the Tennessee Titans, 24-17. Caleb Williams has become the first rookie quarterback since 2002 to start in Week One and earn a victory. Week One games always turn out to be the most interesting because now every team can watch film and reflect to see where they can improve. The future looks bright for this Bears team and Week One was just a start to see what the Monsters of the Midway are capable of this year.
The Defense Shined Brightly
Without a shadow of a doubt, it’s safe to say that the Bears’ defense was the key factor in their victory over the Titans. They came up with two interceptions, one of which was for a touchdown by cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, then the other came from cornerback Jaylon Johnson at the end to seal the deal for the Bears. They sacked Titans quarterback Will Levis three times and a blocked punt by Bears defensive linebacker Daniel Hardy turned into a special teams touchdown for the Bears. That blocked punt completely changed the momentum of the game as the defense completely took off from there.
Caleb Williams Still Has a Lot to Prove
It took the Bears until 27 seconds left in the first half to get some points on the board, so that may sound a bit concerning when thinking about the offensive performance in Week One. Caleb Williams went 14-for-29 for 93 yards in his first regular season game for the Bears. The first half was a bit slow for Chicago, but the offense kicked it up a notch in the second half scoring 21 points to complete the comeback victory over Tennessee. After the Stevenson pick-six to put the Bears up by five, Williams completed the two-point conversion to running back D’Andre Swift to put Chicago up a touchdown with seven and a half minutes to play. It may be very early in the season to tell what else Caleb Williams has up his sleeve, but only time will tell as he has a lot to prove as the Bears’ new franchise quarterback.
The Unsung Heroes of This Bears’ Victory
While there were many players that stood out in this Bears victory over the Titans, there were a couple that flew under the radar and had an impact of their own during this game. One of them was return specialist DeAndre Carter. He set up the first points of the game for the Bears as he ran a 62-yard kickoff return to get them into the Titans’ territory. On top of that, he caught five punts for 64 yards, averaging 12.8 yards per return.
On the defensive side, defensive tackle Andrew Billings made things hard for the Titans on early downs. He recorded two tackles, one for a loss, and also two QB hits. Billings broke through the Titans’ offensive line multiple times, causing an annoying amount of pressure on Will Levis, as well as the running game. He also contributed to a false start on the Titans. The defense for the Bears was astounding in and out of itself, and Andrew Billings contributed well to that.
