Week 1 recap: Defense, special teams carry Chicago Bears to a 24-17 win despite a bumpy debut for Caleb Williams
The Chicago Bears’ showing against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday was more about big defense and special teams plays than it was the magic of rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, but the Bears still emerged from their season opener victorious.
Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson had a pick-six against Titans quarterback Will Levis and safety Jonathan Owens scored on a blocked punt to drive a 24-17 win. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson intercepted Levis on the Titans’ final drive to seal the win.
Those plays picked up the Bears offense and Williams in his bumpy NFL debut. Williams completed 14 of 29 passes for 92 yards and had five carries for 15 yards. He led three field-goal drives, but the offense didn’t get in the end zone.
The Bears trailed all game until Stevenson intercepted Levis and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown with 7 minutes, 35 seconds to play. When Williams hit D’Andre Swift for a 2-point conversion pass, the Bears led 24-17.
DeMarcus Walker hit Levis to force the flip that Stevenson scooped out of the air. He ran untouched to the end zone.
After a rough first half, the Bears finally got the Soldier Field crowd going with a special teams play in the third quarter.
After the defense stopped the Titans at their 33-yard line, defensive end Daniel Hardy broke through to block Ryan Stonehouse’s punt. Owens picked it up and ran 21 yards for a touchdown to cut the Titans lead to 17-10.
It was the Bears’ first blocked punt returned for a touchdown since Corey Wootton did it in 2012 against the Titans.
The defense came up with another big stop on the Titans’ next drive, but the offense totaled minus-3 yards on the next drive.
Week 1 photos: Chicago Bears vs. Tennessee Titans at Soldier Field
Kicker Cairo Santos cut the Titans lead to 17-13 with a 50-yard field goal at the beginning of the fourth quarter. On third-and-2 at the 32-yard line, Williams fumbled the snap but picked it up and then overthrew Keenan Allen in the end zone to force the field goal.
Santos made a 48-yarder a few minutes later to cut it to 17-16. Defensive end Darrell Taylor had a strip-sack of Levis, and T.J. Edwards recovered at the Titans 31 to set up the drive.
A Coleman Shelton holding penalty set the Bears back, and they settled for the field goal.
Here’s how the game unfolded:
Inactives: Darrell Taylor is in, Roschon Johnson and Tyler Scott are out
Defensive ends Montez Sweat, DeMarcus Walker and Darrell Taylor are all active for the Bears on Sunday after battling injuries during the week.
Sweat has been dealing with a toe injury, while Walker has a groin issue. Taylor had his foot stepped on during practice Thursday and sat out Friday. He worked out on the field before the game, and all three will suit up for the Bears.
Wide receiver Keenan Allen (heel) also will play.
Defensive tackle Zacch Pickens was ruled out Friday because of a groin injury, and running back Roschon Johnson, who has a toe injury, also is out.
Rookie offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie, who spent much of training camp recovering from a quadriceps injury, is inactive. Amegadjie also dealt with an oblique injury during the week.
Notable healthy scratches include wide receiver Tyler Scott and defensive end Dominique Robinson. Linebacker Noah Sewell and offensive lineman Bill Murray also are inactive.
For the Titans, safety Jamal Adams, linebackers Otis Reese IV and Ali Gaye, offensive lineman John Ojukwu and tight ends David Martin-Robinson and Thomas Odukoya are inactive.
Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who is playing through an MCL tear, is active.
Halftime: Bears trail 17-3 after ugly opening 30 minutes
The Bears turned in a dud of a first half in the season opener at Soldier Field.
The offense under new quarterback Caleb Williams netted 50 yards in four drives. “Hard Knocks” star Velus Jones Jr. fumbled a kickoff that led to a Titans field goal. And the defense gave up two touchdown drives as the Titans led 17-3 at halftime.
Williams completed 8 of 13 passes for 52 yards with no touchdowns or turnovers. Titans quarterback Will Levis was 9 of 15 for 67 yards and one touchdown, and running back Tony Pollard had nine carries for 64 yards and a touchdown.
The Bears had a chance to get in the end zone on their final drive of the half after DeAndre Carter’s 67-yard kickoff return got them to the Titans 34-yard line. They got to the 11 after Williams threw a pass to DJ Moore that deflected into the air. Rome Odunze caught the deflection and fumbled, but Bears left guard Teven Jenkins recovered.
After a 5-yard pass to Cole Kmet, Keenan Allen dropped what would have been a touchdown pass, and Williams’ third-down pass was batted down at the line. The Bears settled for Cairo Santos’ 24-yard field goal for their only points of the half.
After going three-and-out on their first drive, the Bears reached the Titans 25 on their second drive. But Williams took a 19-yard loss on a sack that eventually killed the drive. Keondre Coburn blew by center Coleman Shelton to pressure Williams, and Sebastian Joseph-Day finished with a sack.
The Bears later replaced right guard Nate Davis with Ryan Bates.
The Bears defense held the Titans to 5 net yards on their first two drives, but the Titans broke through on their third possession. Pollard had runs of 14 and 7 yards and then broke through a big hole for a 26-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
Jones fumbled the ensuing kickoff and kicked the ball forward, and Titans running back Julius Chestnut recovered at the Bears 23. Four plays later, Nick Folk made a 40-yard field goal to give the Titans a 10-0 lead.
The Titans pulled ahead 17-0 on Levis’ 17-yard touchdown pass to Chig Okonkwo.
Catch up on the rest of our coverage:
No pressure, just the entire city of Chicago on his shoulders
Black-and-white photographs and grainy videos are all you ever see of Sid Luckman.
The greatest quarterback in Chicago Bears history, who retired in 1950 after leading the team to four NFL championships, played in an era so far removed from today’s game, it’s impossible to compare him to any modern QB, much less one of our own.
But if Bears rookie Caleb Williams lives up to the massive hype that accompanied his arrival in town, you’ll probably be seeing and hearing a lot more about Luckman this year. If Williams is truly The One, the Bears can move on from a past that has haunted the organization for seven-plus decades.
Like the 2016 Cubs squashing the Billy Goat curse, Paul Sullivan writes, Williams can end the curse of Sid Luckman.
Column: What are realistic early benchmarks for Bears QB Caleb Williams in his NFL debut?
First starts for Bears QBs: How rookies — and a few veterans — have fared for the franchise
5 things to watch — plus our Week 1 predictions
Beyond their rookie QB, the Bears have a slew of new offensive weapons to evaluate Sunday, including running back D’Andre Swift and tight end Gerald Everett.
But one of the biggest curiosities is how Williams’ connection with the wide receivers group of DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze unfolds. Moore had 1,364 receiving yards in his first season with the Bears and sixth overall in 2023. Allen had 1,243 yards in his 11th season with the Chargers in 2023 before the Bears traded for him. And Odunze comes in off an All-American senior season at Washington in which he led the nation in receiving yards.
“It’s going to be special,” Odunze said. “DJ got stuff on film. Keenan got stuff on film. I’m excited to see what I can add to that mix and what we can all do together.” Read more here.
Bears 2024 schedule: Here’s who they’ll play — and our predictions for each game
Count Cole Kmet among the Bears believers sensing an imminent breakthrough: ‘Super Bowl-driven’
Why Bears TE Marcedes Lewis — at age 40 in Season 19 — still is committed to the NFL grind
‘Your IQ of the game is big. And that’s Flus through and through.’
For Bears coach Matt Eberflus, the wind at his back feels substantial. In so many ways, he enters the 2024 season with new energy and a new opportunity to return the Bears to prominence. Courtesy of his wife, Kelly, and his daughters, Giada and Grace, Eberflus has a new-and-improved mien about him. His well-documented makeover includes a well-groomed beard, a fade haircut and a new sense of style.
With the help of general manager Ryan Poles, Eberflus also has a new-and-improved roster to work with.
Yet as much of the football world focuses on Chicago to see what will happen next, uncertainty lingers. On the betting markets alone, optimism and skepticism remain in a fierce tug of war. Somehow, Eberflus is at once the current favorite to be named Coach of the Year at the NFL Honors ceremony in February in New Orleans while also registering among the four most likely coaches to be fired next. Read more here.
What to know about Bears home games this season
From where to park, what to eat and when to sing, here’s our Soldier Field guide for the 2024 season.
And speaking of food … one of the most anticipated rollouts is the “Odunze Dog.” The fully loaded hot dog is named after Bears rookie Rome Odunze, and Levy chefs called it the wide receiver’s “culinary introduction to the Windy City.”
The jalapeño cheddar dog with Italian beef, giardiniera, spicy Chicago secret sauce and cheese crisp crumbles also tracks with the rookie wide receiver’s snack habits, as shown in a recent episode of “Hard Knocks.” The Odunze Dog will be offered at a concession stand in section 134.
Previously on ‘Hard Knocks’
Narrated by Liev Schreiber, “Hard Knocks” first launched in 2001, following the Ravens through camp. The Bears were featured on the 19th edition of the series — and for the franchise’s first time — in August when training camp began. Directed by Shannon Furman. the five episodes served as an infomercial for the organization, spreading optimism for the start of the Caleb Williams era and portraying management and the players in the best light possible. But what did they expect, writes Paul Sullivan?
Let’s meet the new kids
The Bears selected five players in the 2024 NFL draft. Get to know Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze, Kiran Amegadjie, Tory Taylor and Austin Booker.
“He’s what you want as the face of your franchise.”
Bears tight end Cole Kmet received a glimpse of Caleb Williams’ competitiveness during a recent trip to Topgolf.
USC passing game coordinator Dennis Simmons knows a little bit about that competitiveness — in big moments and small ones — after spending three seasons with Williams, first as the passing game coordinator at Oklahoma and then at USC.
He spoke recently with the Tribune about Williams’ passion, the misconceptions that surrounded him in the predraft process and why he believes Williams is a quarterback whom teammates will want to play for. Read more about Williams here.
“He thrives on those moments.”
For 52 minutes after making quarterback Caleb Williams the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, Bears GM Ryan Poles waited.
He waited with eagerness. He waited with anxiety. He waited for the opportunity to make his grandest draft dream come true. Specifically, Poles waited for Rome Odunze, the talented, intelligent and enthusiastic wide receiver from Washington.
JaMarcus Shephard understands why Poles and the Bears were so excited to unite with Odunze. Having served as the wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator at Washington for Odunze’s final two college seasons, Shephard is well aware of Odunze’s big-play ability and strive-big mentality. Shephard, now at Alabama as wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator, spoke to the Tribune recently to offer his assessment of Odunze. Read more about Odunze here.
“He has the most growth potential out of any of the guys.”
Bears rookie offensive lineman Kiran Amegadjie called the first couple of weeks settling in with the team he grew up cheering for “surreal.”
The Bears’ third-round draft pick, who is from Hinsdale, said he was brimming with excitement about contributing to “the history and culture of my favorite team.” But the 6-foot-5, 326-pound Amegadjie will have to stay patient about contributing on the field.
Yale coach Tony Reno said he knows Amegadjie is itching to get reps on the field – and he believes in what Amegadjie can do once he does. Reno has watched Amegadjie’s rise from Hinsdale Central to the NFL, and he spoke with the Tribune about how Amegadjie developed and what he will bring to the Bears when he gets back on the field. Read more about Amegadjie here.
“He totally revamped the position.”
Bears coach Matt Eberflus found himself drawn into the show his rookie was performing at a June minicamp practice at Halas Hall.
Iowa special teams coordinator LeVar Woods watched those talents for four years after recruiting Taylor out of Australia, and he has many stories about the development of a player Bears general manager Ryan Poles called one of the best punters he ever has seen.
Woods spoke with the Tribune about Taylor’s transition to American football, some of his most impressive feats and the fanfare he created in Iowa City. Read more about Taylor here.
‘He’s a skinny guy in a big guy’s body.’
When the Bears drafted Kansas defensive lineman Austin Booker in the fifth round in April, he didn’t shy away from the word “raw.”
The 21-year-old edge rusher played in just six games over his first two seasons at Minnesota before transferring to Kansas for the 2023 season. After totaling 56 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, eight sacks and two forced fumbles in 12 games last year, he entered the NFL draft having played just 505 college snaps, according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.
Kansas defensive ends coach Taiwo Onatolu believes in that upside. As Booker settled in with the Bears at organized team activities in May, Onatolu took some time to talk with the Tribune about Booker’s growth in his lone season with the Jayhawks and what he will bring to the Bears. Read more about Booker here.
