FULL BOXSCORE

What Eric Edholm thought:

1. The defense saved the day for the Bears with Caleb’s debut. The Bears scored touchdowns on defense and special teams — but none on offense — and fought back from a 17-0 deficit the hard way to secure the win in Week 1 at Soldier Field. No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams struggled mightily all day, completing 14 of 29 passes for 92 yards and rarely looking comfortable behind a shaky Bears offensive line. Chicago had 28 or fewer yards on all but two drives and totaled just 11 first downs and 147 yards of offense. The run game didn’t help much either until late in the game. Williams’ two-point conversion to D’André Swift helped the Bears to a seven-point lead after a Tyrique Stevenson‘s pick-six. Williams missed a couple of open throws early on and took a 19-yard sack that put the Bears out of field goal range. He loosened up a bit as the game went on, and Keenan Allen dropped a potential TD pass, but it’s clear this offense will take time to marinate and grow. Give some credit to first-year Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson for a smart game plan, but the Bears were also grinding on offense a lot.
2. Titans and Levis are missing great opportunities to make big statements. The Titans didn’t exactly get off to a hot start, but they were the better of the two teams. They jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first half, controlled the clock and sucked the life out of the Soldier Field crowd. But the wheels came off when the Titans offense and special teams made crucial mistakes that allowed the Bears to get back into the game despite their inability to move the ball consistently. Quarterback Will Levis started slow, but the attack found its rhythm with the running game, as Tony Pollard got loose for a 26-yard TD run and was their best power forward. Levis showed some toughness and found Calvin Ridley on one big shot in each half, but he had just three catches on seven targets, with Levis underthrowing him after Ridley beat him Jaylon Johnson deep. The pressure was palpable for Levis on Sunday, especially after a strip sack in the second half and a brutal pick-six on the ensuing series. The game ended when Levis threw an interception amid 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 derailed the offense in a game the Titans should have won.
3. The Bears’ special teams and defense make mistakes but handle them well. It was a give-and-take for the Bears, especially on special teams but also on defense. The Titans had just 244 yards of offense, but drove 70-plus yards twice to build an early three-score lead before Chicago forced three fourth-quarter turnovers late in the game. The Bears also gave the Titans early points when Velus Jones botched a kickoff and fired the ball straight to Tennessee, setting up a field goal for the Titans. Daniel Hardy was also guilty of an illegal block that negated a beautiful punt return. But Hardy could be forgiven, as his blocked punt helped spark the Bears’ turnaround in his Chicago debut, with Jonathan Owens returning it 21 yards for a touchdown (which nearly gave his Olympic wife a heart attack). The Bears defense was fired up after that, which helped turn the game on its head. Also give credit to the special teams for giving the Bears points, as DeAndre CarterThe 67-yard kickoff return gave them the first points of the game.

Next Gen Game Stats: The Bears generated pressure on 47.4 percent of Will Levis’ dropbacks, the unit’s second-most pressures in a game in the last three seasons. Three Bears defenders (Andrew Billings, DeMarcus Walker and Darrell Taylor) tied for a team-high five pressures, including three quick pressures apiece. Levis struggled with pressure, finishing 5 of 13 for 61 yards, including both interceptions.

NFL Research: Caleb Williams became the first No. 1 overall pick to start and win as a QB in Week 1 since Houston’s David Carr in 2002. No. 1 overall QBs are 4-14-1 in Week 1 starts since 1970, with Carr, Denver’s John Elway (1983) and New England’s Jim Plunkett (1971) being the only ones to win.