All the promise and hope of a new season were immediately crushed by an utter implosion of the Titans' offense, orchestrated by Will Levis' asinine mistakes.
What a way to start 2024! Essentially, everything in our organization is brand new, yet we are the same Tennessee Titans. Start strong. Finish flat. If we could have found a way to pull out that win, it would have been to the credit to our defense alone. They deserved that win today and it just couldn't come together despite a disappointing debut from Caleb Williams.
Game Breakdown:
Levis showed promise in the first half, leading the Titans to a 17-3 lead at the half. Those would unfortunately be the last points Tennessee would score on the day though. Levis had 19 completions on 32 attempts for 127 yards and a touchdown, resulting in a quarterback rating(QBR) of 52.5. A fumble and two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, would be the Titans undoing today. Chig Okonkwo had the reception for the touchdown in addition to one other reception going a combined 15 yards. Tony Pollard had 16 carries on the day for 86 yards, while scoring the other touchdown for the Titans. Calvin Ridley had a great debut in the two-tone blue, catching three passes for 50 yards.
Williams completed 14 of his 29 passing attempts today for a total of 93 yards and no touchdowns, earning him a QBR of 55.7. Williams did pick up 15 yards on the ground, though D'Andre Swift would be the leading rusher in his Chicago debut. Swift amassed 30 yards on 10 carries. DJ More and Keenan Allen led Chicago in receiving today with five receptions for 36 yards and four receptions for 29 yards, respectively.
On the other side of the ball, Harold Landry III and Sebastian Joesph-Day had sacks for the Titans. Amani Hooker led the team in solo tackles with five.
The Bears' defensive efforts were led by T.J. Edwards with 10 solo tackles. Darrell Taylor had two sacks, followed by Gervon Dexter Sr. with one. Tyrique Stevenson had the pick-six to give the Bears the lead and the win. Jaylon Johnson had the game-sealing interception to put Chicago's offense back on the field to run out the clock.
Nick Folk only had one field goal attempt today, making it from 40 yards out. Folk also made both extra points he attempted.
Cairo Santos was key in today's win making all three of his attempted field goals, his longest from 50 yards out. Santos successfully converted his only extra-point attempt of the day as well.
Final Thoughts:
The Tennessee defense never quit and didn't allow an offensive touchdown today. A very impressive showing considering the scoreline. Titans fans should have the utmost confidence in the defense going into next week. Williams could have had a good game today, but the relentless effort and disruption from the Titans made that impossible.
Special teams are a liability at the moment. Ryan Stonehouse looks back to his old self and will be the difference-maker in games down the stretch, the blocked punt today was not on him. The Titans have to be better up front and protect Stonehouse and Folk. That's how Tennessee lost Stonehouse for the final five games last season and it will happen again if nothing changes.
The offense showed flashes of "what could be" across the board today. They started slow but found some momentum and capitalized on the opportunity leading into halftime. The same offense didn't come back out of the locker room. Levis has to be better and he knows it. I don't expect to see the same offense again next week, especially if DeAndre Hopkins is back to being a full participant. That is a huge "if" though.
Today was a very rough way to start the season, but it is a starting place. The Titans will come out ready to right the ship next week and get the bad taste of defeat out of their mouths.
Next week vs the New York Jets:
Aaron Rodgers and company come to town next Sunday, September 15th for Tennessee's home-opener. Kickoff is slated for Noon (CDT) on CBS.
The Jets will be coming off a slightly shortened week after their Monday Night Football matchup in San Fransisco tomorrow night. This game could be the difference maker in making the playoffs or watching from home by the end of the season. Expect a close contest that will undoubtedly be determined by how the Titans' offense responds to this week and game plans for a stout Jets defense.
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