The Summer of Love in Chicago was seemingly on its way to being helter-skelter'd by the Tennessee Titans. In an offseason filled with good vibes, it took but one half for the Chicago Bears to fall behind three scores to the Titans and the Bears' faithful to question their existence as time continues to prove itself as a flat circle.
But alas, the head coach who was brought aboard to rekindle the flames of the Lovie Smith era has proven that he can coach defense, and the Bears (and Will Levis) snatched victory from the jaws of defeat despite a shaky start from No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams.
A victory is a victory, and the Bears sit 1-0 and tied atop the NFC North with the Lions and Vikings. Caleb Williams is the first No. 1 overall pick to win his NFL debut since 2002 (David Carr), and the team looks ahead to what should be a great matchup with the 1-0 Houston Texans next Sunday night.
Stud(s): Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson
Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson wasted no time making their case for the most potent cornerback duo in the NFL. Titan receivers combined for only eight receptions and 78 yards on the day, while both Johnson and Stevenson notched interceptions against second-year QB Will Levis.
Stevenson's interception and return put the Bears ahead on the scoreboard, and Johnson's sealed the victory for the Bears' first 1-0 start since 2022.
It's a good day at the office when your defensive backs notch more touchdown receptions than the opposing team's wide receivers.
Dud: Coleman Shelton
The center position continues to be a proverbial albatross for the Bears and general manager Ryan Poles. After trading a fifth-round pick to the Bills for Ryan Bates (who was presumably lined up to be the starter), the Bears pivoted to former Los Angeles Ram Coleman Shelton after Bates struggled to stay healthy throughout training camp.
The results could have been better. Shelton struggled against a vaunted Tennessee interior, and rookie T'Vondre Sweat ran roughshod over the sixth year veteran for the Bears.
It seems the Bears have played musical chairs at the center position since, geez, Roberto Garza retired in 2014. It's been a position of flux for nearly a decade now, and fans continue to hope that Ryan Poles has a long-term plan for the position versus the quick-fix band-aids who haven't panned out.
Stud: Darrell Taylor
When the Bears missed out on Matthew Judon, many fans didn't bat an eye when Ryan Poles traded a sixth-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for Darrell Taylor. It was, to many, a move that didn't move the needle after Taylor logged 5.5 sacks with the Seahawks last season as a situational edge rusher.
Taylor may have found a home in Matt Eberflus's defense. Donning No. 52, the fourth-year man out of Tennessee was eerily reminiscent of another No. 52 for the Bears. Taylor was a menace against the Titans as he logged two sacks and two tackles for loss and forced a fumble (that the Bears recovered).
In one game with the Bears, Taylor produced nearly half as much on the stat sheet that he did with the Seahawks over 17 games. His seven solo tackles were almost half of what he had in 2023 (17), and his two sacks were a third of his production with the Seahawks (5.5).
Dud: Shane Waldron
You could insert the entire offense into the "dud" category. Still, unlike Darrell Taylor, Waldron is another Seahawk castoff who didn't shine nearly as bright in his Bears' debut as the offensive signal-caller.
Waldron's offense looked out of sync and messy against a solid if unspectacular Titan defense. The run game seemed bland and uninspiring, and the inability to cater to Caleb Williams' desire for a more uptempo style seemed to create issues between the offensive coordinator and rookie quarterback.
Cole Kmet played only 27 snaps (against Gerald Everett's 34), and the big-time target seemed an afterthought in a game plan that should have attacked the weaker Tennessee linebacking corps.
2-306 was the record of teams that were down 17-0 at one point and failed to score an offensive touchdown in the game. The Bears' improbable victory now makes that record 3-306.
The Bears totaled 149 yards of offense in Week 1, and if not for a herculean effort from defense and special teams, the feel-good vibes from the summer would be totally squashed this Monday.
Stud: Daniel Hardy
Daniel Hardy was a preseason darling for the Bears, and his strong effort during the exhibition games (he led the league in sacks) earned him one of Chicago's final roster spots.
His strong performance carried over into the regular season. Hardy's blocked punt springboarded the Bears' comeback against the Titans in the second half.
Hardy bull-rushed his man and was able to reach an arm out to block Ryan Stonehouse's kick; newcomer Johnathan Owens scooped up the loose ball for a touchdown that cut the Tennessee lead down from 17-3 to 17-10.
Dud: Velus Jones Jr.
Nicknamed "The Ferret King" in this season of HBO's "Hard Knocks," Velus Jones Jr. appropriately weaseled his way onto the 53-man roster despite not having a proper position nor being a reliable punt or kick returner.
Drafted as a wide receiver out of Tennessee, Jones switched over to running back this offseason after failing to establish himself as a wideout for the Bears. He showed promise during preseason, but his bread and butter was supposed to be his ability in the return game for the Bears.
After losing his job as a punt returner during his rookie season, Jones entrenched himself as the lead kickoff returner heading into the 2024 season. Now that title seems to be in jeopardy after he fumbled a kickoff and then booted the ball 20 yards in front of him and directly into the arms of a waiting Titan defender.
Jones' speed is undeniable, but what little patience fans had for the constant miscues has to be nearing zero after yet another blunder.
Related: The Bear Assessment: 7 Key Takeaways from Bears' Week 1 Win Over Titans
Subscribe to On Tap Sports Net on YouTube and the Bears On Tap podcast for more Chicago Bears content, updates, and hot takes!
Local News
Comments / 0