CHICAGO – In the early stages of the offseason, when rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was just learning how to call an NFL play in an NFL huddle, there was talk that the talented Bears defense would have to carry the new-look Bears offense for a few weeks.

That turned out to be an understatement.

From start to finish in the team’s Week 1 win over the Titans, the offense was out of sync and the problems were all over the place. There were drives doomed by penalties, mistakes between Williams and his receivers, plays that were DOA thanks to ineffective blocking up front, and dropped touchdowns. The execution was poor all over the field.

Here are some numbers to illustrate the ignorance:

Longest drive: 46 yards (still ended in a punt)
Number of drives of 10 or fewer yards: 4
Number of drives with negative yardage: 2
3rd down conversions: 2-13
Net yards: 148
Yards/game: 2.8

And yet the Bears managed to win by a landslide in Week 1 thanks to good play in the other two phases.

After falling behind 17-0 in the first half, the defense held firm, creating three turnovers and a touchdown. The punt block team created a touchdown of their own with a blocked kick, scoop and score.

The players in attack were unanimously grateful that the D picked them up, but they have no intention of putting their feet up knowing that they will have to stand their ground every week.

“That’s definitely not our mindset,” Rome Odunze said. “We want to be the ones that go out there, make plays and have this team lean on us.”

According to Odunze, if the offense is executed properly, the Bears will blow away the other teams in big wins.

“If we put in a performance like the defense showed today and the offense does what we want, then things will look a lot better here,” Odunze said.

There’s also the realization that the offense will have to return the favor at some point. The Bears face several high-octane offenses this year, starting with the Texans next week. They know they can’t count on game-changing interceptions or strip sacks every week. They’ll have to pick up the slack and lead the team to victory at some point.

“All we want to do is perform for them, show them we’re here too,” said midfielder Coleman Shelton.

“The potential is there, the talent is there, but you’ve got to get the results,” tight end Gerald Everett said. “When you don’t get the results, you’ve got to be on your toes.”

The feeling among offensive players is that while it may seem like the playmaking defense gives them the luxury of some extra space to develop chemistry, in reality they don’t have much time to get it together. No excuses for having a rookie QB under center, or a new OC setting up his offense. The regular season has begun and they feel they need to perform at a high level now.

That said, they feel good knowing they have the safety net of the other two stages. Today’s win gives them confidence that they can still win even if they struggle for almost 60 minutes.

“When we all play together — offense, defense, special teams — it’s going to be a scary experience when we all do it together,” DJ Moore said.

Another key: Several players on offense felt like the adversity was rallying them on the sidelines. In the past, this would have been a game where the Bears fell short. Now, it feels like another example of a galvanized group ready to turn the page from rebuilders to contenders.

“I thought it was uplifting,” Odunze said. “I wanted to go out there on the next play and make something happen. That’s what you need. You need this team to come together, regardless of what happened on the downs, and understand that the next play is going to be our best play, the next play is going to be explosive, the next play is going to be a touchdown.”

The offense’s best wasn’t all that great, but they saved it for last. After gaining 54 yards and converting six first downs in the first three quarters, the offense gained 96 yards (not including yardage lost to kneel downs) and five first downs in the final frame.

Something to build on?

“In the NFL, every week is different,” head coach Matt Eberflus said. “There’s going to be times where games come and go. They really do, and you just have to be good as a team. It’s never about one side or one person. It’s about figuring it out during the game and figuring out our winning formula for that particular day.”

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