For generations, the Bears’ calling card has been their defense.
Even as they drafted quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick this year, that did not change on Sunday.
With a blocked punt returned for a touchdown and a pick six, Chicago’s special teams and defense led the club to a 24-17 victory over Tennessee to open the 2024 season.
Tennessee raced out to a 17-0 lead, with the team’s defense holding Chicago to just a field goal in the first half.
But things changed in the third quarter, as the Bears blocked a punt and Jonathan Owens — husband of Olympic champion Simone Biles — returned the ball 21 yards for a touchdown, putting the score at 17-10.
The Bears’ offense went on one of its only sustained drives to put Cairo Santos in position for a 50-yard field goal to make the score 17-13.
Then Chicago’s defense started to put the hammer down, as defensive lineman Darrell Taylor strip-sacked quarterback Will Levis, with linebacker T.J. Edwards recovering the loose ball to give the team an extra possession. Santos hit a 48-yard field goal to pull the club within one point.
Titans quarterback Will Levis then made his worst play of the day, inexplicably attempting an underhand flip to avoid a sack on third-and-6. Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson was there to intercept the errant pass, returning it 43 yards for a go-ahead touchdown.
Williams then connected with D’Andre Swift on a swing pass for a two-point conversion, giving the Bears a seven-point lead.
That was 24 unanswered points for Chicago, which was all the club needed. On Tennessee’s last drive, Levis threw an interception to Jaylon Johnson on fourth-and-10 to effectively end the game.
The Bears had just 11 first downs and 148 yards, averaging 2.8 yards per play. Williams finished 14-of-29 for 93 yards. He also rushed for 15 yards.
On the other side, Levis was 19-of-32 for 127 yards with one touchdown, two picks, and a lost fumble. He also rushed for 36 yards. Tony Pollard was effective, rushing for 82 yards on 16 carries with a touchdown.
But it was Chicago’s defense and special teams that made all the difference.
The Titans will have their home opener next week as the club hosts the Jets.
Williams will make his primetime debut, as the Bears go to Houston to visit the Texans.
The Bears offense is leaving a lot to be desired, but their special teams and defense have given Chicago the lead.
Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson returned an interception 43 yards for a pick six. And with a two-point conversion, the Bears now lead the Titans 24-17 with 7:35 left in the fourth quarter.
Quarterback Will Levis was strip-sacked on Tennessee’s previous drive, which led to a field goal. He made things worse by inexplicably trying to flip an underhand pass to his left to avoid a sack. But Stevenson was there to pick off the floating ball, returning it down the sideline for a go-ahead touchdown.
Caleb Williams has not had an impressive debut, but he connected with D’Andre Swift on a swing pass for the two-point conversion to put the Bears up by seven.
The Bears are ahead despite gaining just 104 yards of offense so far.
The Bears have scored a touchdown — and it came on special teams.
The Titans had a big opportunity with Calvin Ridley running open down the left sideline on third-and-15, but quarterback Will Levis overthrew him to bring up fourth down.
That’s when Chicago’s special teams came through, with Daniel Hardy blowing through the line to block Ryan Stonehouse’s punt. Safety Jonathan Owens — who is married to Olympic champion Simone Biles — found the loose ball and returned it 21 yards for the Bears’ first touchdown of the season.
That pulled the Bears to within seven points, with Tennessee still ahead at 17-10 with 9:07 left in the third quarter.
Chicago has struggled offensively throughout the contest, recording just six first downs so far. But a blocked punt for a score could be the spark the team has needed throughout No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams’ debut.
Through two quarters, the Titans are spoiling quarterback Caleb Williams’ debut.
Tennessee leads Chicago 17-3 at halftime.
The Titans and Bears traded punts to start, but Tennessee has since come alive on offense, scoring on three consecutive possessions.
Tony Pollard got the scoring started with a 26-yard run, putting up his first touchdown as a Titan to give his new club a 7-0 lead. Chicago then muffed the ensuing kickoff, giving Tennessee an extra possession deep in Bears territory. But the Titans could manage just a 40-yard field goal out of that to go up 10-0.
Later in the second quarter, quarterback Will Levis hit his first touchdown throw of the year with a 17-yard pass to tight end Chig Okonkwo to go up 17-0. That capped a 14-play, 73-yard drive that took 8:23 off the clock. The Titans converted a third-and-15 and a fourth-and-3 on the possession.
The Bears had a strong return to set up the offense in a good position, with DeAndre Carter taking the ball 66 yards to the Tennessee 34. But Chicago could manage just a field goal out of the possession.
Caleb Williams’ throw on second-and-5 from the Tennessee 6-yard line was right to Keenan Allen’s hands in the end zone but the receiver couldn’t reel it in.
There was also a bizarre play where Williams’ pass was batted up in the air and eventually caught by rookie Rome Odunze. But then the wideout fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Tevin Jenkins at the Tennessee 10-yard line.
Williams is 8-of-14 passing for 53 yards. Chicago has just five first downs, 50 total yards, and is 0-of-6 on third down. The club is averaging 2.2 yards per play.
On the other side, Levis is 9-of-15 for 67 yards with a touchdown. He’s rushed for 24 yards. Tony Pollard has nine carries for 64 yards, good for 7.1 yards per carry. Tajae Spears has added four carries for 21 yards. Calvin Ridley leads with two catches for 28 yards.
The Bears will receive the second-half kickoff.
The Titans have taken a 10-0 lead over the Bears, partially thanks to a Bears turnover on a kickoff.
Tennessee had gained a7-0 lead with Tony Pollard’s 26-yard touchdown to cap Tennessee’s third drive. The Titans had gone three-and-out on their first two possessions.
But Pollard got going on the third drive, going for 7 yards on a second-and-2 carry. Then he gained 14 yards to push the Titans to midfield.
After a Pollard 7-yard run put the Titans on Chicago’s 26, the former Cowboy burst through the line and scored his first touchdown with his new team.
But then Chicago’s Velus Jones booted the ensuing kickoff. The ball went right through Jones’ arms and the returner may have accidentally kicked it forward, putting it right in the path of Tennessee’s Julius Chestnut — who recovered the loose ball at the Chicago 23.
Tennessee could not take full advantage of the extra possession, with quarterback Will Levis taking a sack for a 3-yard loss on second-and-6. Then Levis’ pass was incomplete on third-and-9, leading to Nick Folk’s 40-yard field goal to give the club a 10-point advantage.
Every week we bring you all the inactives from the 1 p.m. ET games in one post, constantly updated with the latest information.
Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase’s status for Sunday’s game has been closely watched all week because the wideout has reportedly been on the fence about playing without a contract extension in place. Chase warmed up on the field before the home game against New England on Sunday morning and he is active for the season opener.
That suggests Chase will play, but there have been a lot of twists and turns with the receiver since the start of training camp so we’ll see if he has his usual role. The Bengals will take as much as they can get with Tee Higgins out and the chance to start the year with a win on the line against the Patriots.
Bengals at Patriots
Bengals: WR Tee Higgins, WR Kendric Pryor, EDGE Cedric Johnson, T Amarius Mims, TE Tanner McLachlan, DT Kris Jenkins
Patriots: QB Joe Milton, WR Javon Baker, LB Curtis Jacobs, G Sidy Sow, T Zachary Thomas, T Demontrey Jacobs, DT Eric Johnson
Cardinals at Bills
Cardinals: WR Xavier Weaver, TE Travis Vokolek, OL Jon Gaines, DB Darren Hall, LB Jesse Luketa
Bills: T Ryan Van Demark, DE Dawuane Smoot, S Cole Bishop, LB Joe Andreessen, LB Eddie Ulofoshio, C Sedrick Van-Pran Granger, DE Javon Solomon
Vikings at Giants
Vikings: CB Fabian Moreau, DB Dwight McGlothern, WR Trishton Jackson, DT Levi Drake Rodriguez, DT Jalen Redmond, T Walter Rouse, QB Brett Rypien
Giants: S Anthony Johnson, CB Tre Hawkins, LB Boogie Basham, G Jake Kubas, QB Tommy DeVito
Titans at Bears
Titans: S Jamal Adams, LB Otis Reese, OL John Ojukwu, TE David Martin-Robinson, TE Thomas Odukoya, LB Ali Gaye
Bears: WR Tyler Scott, RB Roschon Johnson, OL Kiran Amegadjie, OL Bill Murray, DT Zacch Pickens, LB Noah Sewell, DE Dominique Robinson
Panthers at Saints
Panthers: S Jammie Robinson, CB Shemar Bartholomew, C Andrew Raym, G Jarrett Kingston, TE Tommy Tremble, TE Messiah Swinson, DE LaBryan Ray
Saints: WR A.T. Perry, QB Spencer Rattler, DT Khalen Saunders, LB D’Marco Jackson, LB Jaylan Ford, TE Dallin Holker, DT John Ridgeway
Steelers at Falcons
Steelers: QB Russell Wilson, WR Roman Wilson, DB Jalen Elliott, OL Isaac Seumalo, DL Dean Lowry
Falcons: RB Jase McClellan, CB Antonio Hamilton, DL Brandon Dorlus, OL Jovaughn Gwyn, WR Casey Washington, DL Ruke Orhorhoro
Jaguars at Dolphins
Jaguars: S Daniel Thomas, OL Javon Foster, OL Cole Van Lanen, DT Esezi Otomewo, DT Jordan Jefferson, DT Jeremiah Ledbetter
Dolphins: RB Jaylen Wright, CB Ethan Bonner, LB Channing Tindall, LB Mo Kamara, OL Andrew Meyer, WR Malik Washington
Texans at Colts
Texans: WR John Metchie, RB Cam Akers, S M.J. Stewart, LB Jamal Hill, G Nick Broeker
Colts: C Tanor Bortolini, WR Josh Downs, QB Sam Ehlinger, CB Dallis Flowers, T Blake Freeland, K Matt Gay, TE Will Mallory
The Bears had a couple of key veterans in the questionable category of their final injury report on Friday, but it looks like both of them will be ready to go against the Titans.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that wide receiver Keenan Allen and defensive end Montez Sweat are both expected to play on Sunday.
Allen was limited in practice for two days by a heel injury, but he got in a full practice on Friday. Sweat followed the same schedule while dealing with a toe injury.
Defensive ends Darrell Taylor (foot) and DeMarcus Walker (groin) are also listed as questionable. Defensive tackle Zacch Pickens (groin) is the only player that’s been ruled out.
Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins will play on Sunday against the Bears. Whether he’ll play the whole game is a separate question.
Hopkins is listed as questionable with a knee injury but is set to play at Chicago, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. But it’s uncertain if he’ll be able to get a full workload as he deals with a painful knee injury.
This week Hopkins revealed that he tore his MCL five weeks ago, and that has limited his availability for training camp and the preseason.
If Hopkins is less than 100 percent, Titans quarterback Will Levis will rely more on wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd.
The Titans are four-point underdogs at Chicago.
Quarterback Caleb Williams is set to make his Bears debut on Sunday, but it’s less certain that wide receiver Keenan Allen will be doing the same.
Allen moved from limited to full participation in practice on Friday, but the Bears are still listing him as questionable to play due to a heel injury. Allen was acquired from the Chargers in a trade this offseason and is at the top of the receiving corps with DJ Moore and Rome Odunze.
Three members of the edge rushing group are also listed as questionable. Montez Sweat (toe), Darrell Taylor (foot), and DeMarcus Walker (groin) are all in that group. Taylor was added to the report on Friday and he did not practice. Sweat was a full participant and Walker was limited for the second straight day.
Defensive tackle Zacch Pickens (groin) is the only player that’s been ruled out for the opener.
Jamal Adams will have to wait at least another week to make his Titans debut.
The veteran safety has missed practice this week with a hip injury and the team officially ruled him out for Sunday’s game against the Bears on Friday. Adams signed with the Titans after being released by the Seahawks earlier this year.
Head coach Brian Callahan said, via Jim Wyatt of the team’s website, that Adams is close to returning to practice. The Titans will host the Jets, another one of Adams’s former teams, in Week Two.
Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has been a limited participant in practice due to a knee injury and is listed as questionable for Sunday. Linebacker Otis Reese will miss the game with a concussion.