Bears Position Grades after win over Titans |
The Bears opened up the 2024-2025 regular season at home against the Tennessee Titans, and this team looks much different. Matt Eberflus is still the man in charge, but the Bears decided to keep the No. 1 overall draft choice this season and spent their pick on Caleb Williams.
Plus, D’Andre Swift and Keenan Allen have entered the mix offensively. However, the Bears did not score a single offensive touchdown in week 1. That being said, the Bears came out on top. So, let’s hand out our grades for the Bears from Week 1: QUARTERBACK D: The much-anticipated debut of Caleb Williams did not quite go as planned. Williams was just 14-of-29 for 93 yards on Sunday against the Titans. Williams — as has been the case for Justin Fields and Mitch Trubisky — was under heavy pressure and was the victim of a few drops from his receivers. But Williams did not turn the ball over and kept the Bears in the game. RUNNING BACKS D: D’andre Swift, Velus Jones Jr., Travis Homer, and Khalil Herbert combined for just 17 touches and 63 yards—it was not a great outing. The Bears were often behind chains, which made it difficult to run the ball. Swift had some explosive plays and caught a 2-point conversion. There is not much to report here. RECEIVERS D+: The WR trio of DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Oduzne was not spectacular in week 1. Moore had five catches for 36 yards and a 14-yard carry to lead the way. Keenan Allen had four catches for 29 yards and dropped a touchdown — and Rome Odunze’s only catch came on a batted ball. DeAndre Carter also had a catch. TIGHT ENDS D-: Cole Kmet had just one catch; the same goes for Gerald Everett. It was a very disappointing outing for this position room. OFFENSIVE LINE D: The offensive line was not great, allowing heavy pressure on Caleb Williams and two sacks. We will certainly need to see more from this unit if the Bears have any playoff aspirations. DEFENSIVE LINE C: The Bears came away with three sacks against the Titans but struggled in the run game slightly. Gervon Dexter Sr. had a very strong game, and the Bears will look to get Montez Sweat involved soon. Darrell Taylor also had a pair of sacks. LINEBACKERS B: T.J. Edwards’ 15 tackles helped pace the Bears' linebackers, who were excellent on Sunday. Tremaine Edmunds was everywhere, and this unit looks poised to improve on its strong 2023. SECONDARY A: Jaylon Johnson’s All-Pro journey is off to an excellent start, with three tackles and an interception. Tyrique Stevenson added a pick-six, which changed the game, and Jaquan Brisker had ten tackles. SPECIAL TEAMS A+: A blocked punt for a touchdown, a 67-yard kick return from DeAndre Carter, three field goals from Cairos Santos, and three punts inside the 20 from Tory Taylor set the tone for an elite special teams unit. COACHING C: The play-calling wasn’t spectacular, but the adjustments that allowed the Bears to go from down 17 to a 24-17 win deserve some credit.
