Down 17-0 until a Cairo Santos field goal cut into the deficit, the Chicago Bears were undoubtedly in a bad way in their season-opener versus the Tennessee Titans at halftime.
They, however, continued ?chopping wood? according to right tackle Darnell Wright.
The Bears? defense blanked the Titans in the second half while they found ways to score field goals on two of their final three drives while also getting touchdowns from safety Jonathan Owens on a blocked punt and an interception by cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.
It was the definition of a team win. The Bears? offense punted on its first three drives ? and five of its first six ? got outgained 244 yards to 148, and was 3-for-15 on third down.
Bears-Titans Takeaways: Caleb Williams Snaps 22-Year NFL Drought
Caleb Williams Snaps 22-Year NFL Drought vs Titans
Caleb Williams was inefficient on the day. He finished the day having completed 14-of-29 passes for 93 yards with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. He missed open receivers deep, had several passes batted down at the line of scrimmage, and was sacked two times, fumbling once. But that fumble was recovered.
Williams also came away without throwing any interceptions and ? most importantly ? healthy after absorbing 2 sacks and having a couple of passes dropped. He showcased his legs too, carrying the ball five times for 15 yards with an 11-yarder on a third down in the third quarter to pick up a first down.
In the end, he and the Bears came away victorious.
Williams is the first No. 1 rookie QB to win his first start since 2002 (David Carr, Houston Texans) and the first Bears rookie QB to do so since at least the 1950 season. Setting a new precedent is always encouraging, especially considering the company he is in as the No. 1 overall selection.
What Williams and the Bears put on the field for much of the afternoon was not. But it is always better to learn from a win than a loss.
And Williams maintained an even keel throughout.
?He was good [in the huddle],? Wright told Clocker Sports in the locker room after the game. ?He was really positive even when things weren’t going our way. Stayed positive. We knew it would go our way eventually. And that’s all you do, is just stay positive. You ain’t got to be Superman or nothing like that. Just do your job.?
Kevin Byard Gets Win Over Former Team
Kevin Byard told Clocker Sports in training camp that he was anticipating this matchup against his former team. He noted there were still plenty of familiar faces on the sideline.
He relished in the victory after the game.
?It was great, man. First game is Chicago Bear, get a W. Obviously, against my former team, so that was pretty cool being able to trash talk those guys a little bit. But nah, man, it was a great team win. Obviously, the defense, man, we played lights out out there. And, obviously, we faced some adversity early in the first half. But we responded pretty well in the second half, so proud of that effort for sure,? Byard told Clocker Sports on Sunday.
?Didn’t get a chance to go trash talk [Jeffery Simmons] toward the end of the game. He look like he was upset about to fight one of the O-linemen. But nah, man, it was pretty fun. Like I said seen a lot of faces pregame uh and postgame, so it was pretty cool.?
Simmons notably said he was eager to spoil the Bears? excitement over Williams and the new season during an interview on ?The Rich Eisen Show? in June.
Simmons was not one of the two Titans to record a sack on the day.
Nose tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day got to Williams first with edge rusher Harold Landry wrapping the rookie up on the second sack. There was also a little bit of pushing and shoving between the Bears and Titans on the latter?s sideline as the game wound down.
Byard also called Owens? return the ?turning point of the game? and tipped his cap to defensive end Daniel Hardy, who blocked the punt.
Byard said it was not one voice in the locker room at halftime, but a collection of leaders.
After the game, everyone preached the all-around nature of the win, noting that the offense?s time will come when they have to carry the defense. If the defense plays like it did in the 2nd half versus Tennessee, the offense will not have to carry them too often.
A Tale of 2 Halfs
The Bears were stuck in the mud in the first half. They finished with 50 combined net yards of offense, averaging 2.2 yards per play. They nearly doubled their yards in the second half, tallying 98 yards and averaging 3.3 yards per play while running eight more plays than in the first half.
To be clear, that latter figure across an entire season still would have left them 32nd in the NFL in 2023.
It does show they took better advantage of the opportunities created by the defense.
They got the ground game going, averaging 4.8 yards per carry after a 2.0 clip in the first 24 minutes. Williams? numbers took a dip in the second half. He was 8-for-14 for 53 yards in the first half and 6-for-15 for 40 yards in the second act.
He missed Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze on deep shots. Williams lost 19 yards on the first sack he took in the contest. Again, better to learn from a win than a loss. As long as the lesson sticks.
There is still a long way to go, and that goes for the defense too.
Their shutout in the second half included allowing 2.2 yards per play. They also sacked Titans quarterback Will Levis twice, and intercepted him two times ? Stevenson?s pick-6 and the game-sealer by Jaylon Johnson with 1:15 to go.
Levis was still 6-for-10 in the second half after going 9-for-15 with a touchdown pass in the first half when the interior pressure was non-existent.
The Bears figured it out after the break, and that is what they need to stick.
They entered halftime with Tennesse gaining more than three times the total yards (179) and a two-score lead despite their relatively inexperienced QB in Levis and a rookie head coach at the helm in Brian Callahan.
IOL, DT Still Loom as Potential Issues for Bears
The Bears must determine which half showed the true state of the defense. Given how they ended the 2023 season, the second half is a safe bet.
Still, allowing 5.6 yards per play and, perhaps most alarming, 7.6 yards per rush as they did in the first half is a recipe for disaster. The highest the Bears allowed in a game in 2023 was 6.4 yards per carry. That was to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 16.
Getting Zacch Pickens back in the mix could help.
But his outlook remains uncertain, though avoiding injured reserve to start the season could be a good sign. He would have had to sit out at least four games.
The Bears traded for Chris Williams and frequently lined DeMarcus Walker ? who pressured Levis on Johnson?s interception ? up at tackle in passing situations. But more formidable opponents might not go away from the running game as the Titans did.
The offensive line looks like it could be an even bigger issue.
Nate Davis exited the game. after an ugly start. Ryan Bates replaced him. But Davis rode an exercise bike on the sideline, and Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said they planned on rotating them in the game.
The Titans bowled over Bates and center Coleman Shelton at different points. That was seemingly the case for each member of the Bears offensive line at one point in the contest. Davis competed with Bates in training camp, so injury and performance are logical reasons for the switch.
The Bears overcame a litany of issues, including Velus Jones Jr. fumbling a kickoff.
But they got a stellar performance from preseason trade acquisition Darrell Taylor, who had 2.0 sacks and 1 forced fumble. Gervon Dexter Sr. also got home for his first sack of the season.