BREAKING
Bears score 24 unanswered points in comeback win over Titans
David Banks - USA Today Sports

Bears score 24 unanswered points in comeback win over Titans
by - Senior Writer - Sun Sep 08 16:35:28 GMT-05:00 2024

CHICAGO - It was Deja-Vu for the Chicago Bears (1-0) on Sunday as they kicked off their 2024 NFL season against the Tennessee Titans (0-1) at Soldier Field on Sunday. Once again, it was a lackluster offensive performance from the Bears as they were held to less than 170 yards of offense.

That was the case a lot when Justin Fields was the QB, and when the Bears drafted Caleb Williams, many thought this offense would take off, especially when you look at the weapons he has at his disposal. However, with the Titans taking a 17-0 lead midway through the second quarter, it was the Bears relying on what they do best as their defense and special teams once again set the tone as Chicago ripped off 24 unanswered points to pick up the 24-17 win.

It was the first time since 2012 when the Bears had both a blocked punt and an interception returned for a TD which also came against this same Titans team. This was also the first time since Rex Grossman was the QB that the Bears won again with less than 170 yards of offense. Williams wanted to make a great first impression and although the win is a great start his numbers were not great.

Williams went 14-29 on the after for 93 yards, but he will have to do much better than that for the Bears' offense to take things to the next level.

"It shows the personality, how much everybody believes in ourselves, the Chicago Bears," Williams said after the win. "Defense believes in offense, offense believes in defense, special teams, and so forth. We're happy to get this win."

Will Levis wasn't much better, going 19-32 for 127 yards and a score, but he also had two interceptions, including a pick six, which put the Bears in front for good.

Four drives into the game, you could see that this would be an offensive struggle as the teams combined for just 10 total yards of offense over those drives. That was until the Titans came through on their third drive, going 79 yards on eight plays to put the Titans in front 7-0. Tony Pollard played a role in that with several solid runs to move the chains, while Levis did his best to take what the Bears gave him to keep the drive alive. However, Pollard finished things off for the Titans as he got free for 26 yards to put the Titans in front by a score.

Things went from bad to worse for the Titans as Velus Jones Jr. fumbled the ensuing kickoff, with the Titans coming down with a recovery. Four plays later, the Bears defense held as Nick Folk connected for a field goal to extend their lead to 10-0. It took the Bears three drives to come away with a first down, but with less than 20 yards of offense across those three drives, it was going to be up to the defense to shoulder the load again.

Early on, that was a struggle as the Titans made it three straight possessions with points, with this one being their longest drive of the game. Most of the plays were short-yardage plays that kept the possession alive, but Levis did hook up with Calvin Ridley for 22 yards to move the ball inside Bear's territory. Levis continued to use his arm later in the drive, hooking up with Chig Okonkwo for 17 yards and putting the Bears in a massive 17-0 hole.

Those were the final points of the day for the Titans and their offense, as the Bears were hoping a late first-half field from Cairo Santos was just what they needed to get going. Despite their offensive struggles continuing into the second half with -6 yards of offense over their first two drives, the Special teams came through as Daniel Hardy broke through to block a punt, with Jonathan Owens scooping it up and racing to the Endzone for the 21-yard TD.

Defense continued to be the theme throughout the second half. The Bears pass rush was starting to get after Levis, leading to a strip sack from Darrell Taylor. The Bears were once again given great field position. However, Chicago wasn't able to capitalize on the great field position, as two more Santos field goals pulled Chicago within 17-16.

Immediately following that fumble, the Bears defense continued to make Levis' life miserable, as the countless shots he was taking were starting to add up. That included another pressure situation that saw Levis throw one up for grabs only to have Tyrique Stevenson come down with an interception and take it the distance for the 43-yard TD to put the Bears in front for the first time, 22-17.

Williams would find D'Andre Swift for the two-point try as Chicago was in front 24-17.

Still trailing by that score and with less than three minutes to go, Levis had the ball in his hands and a chance to play hero. Finding Ridley for 22 yards was a great start, but with the offense still needing to go 60 yards, a lot of work had to be done. That was as close as the Titans would get as Levis threw another one up for grabs late in the second half only to have Jaylon Johnson come down the Bears second interception to seal the 24-17 win.

Along with a struggling passing game, the Bears' rushing attack couldn't get much going. Swift led the way with 30 yards on 10 carries. DJ Moore was held in check with 36 yards on five receptions, but the bigger news was seeing Keenan Allen leave the game late in the fourth quarter after visibly limping late in the game.

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