Eberflus previews matchup with Titans, excited for Williams' first start |
CHICAGO - Chicago’s matchup against the Tennessee Titans this Sun. Sept. 8 (Noon/FOX) will mark the beginning of Matt Eberflus’ third season as the Chicago Bears head coach.
This will also mark the first regular season game of rookie quarterback Caleb Williams’ NFL career. “It’s exciting. It really is. I’m excited to see him, and I’m excited to (see him) lean on his teammates, lean in and lean on his teammates because that’s what you have to do as a quarterback,” Eberflus said. “He’s got guys around him that have played a lot of years, and again, he’s the rookie. So, he’s just been leaning on those guys and getting the ball to those guys and let them do their work. We have to do a good job of protecting him, and he’s just leaning in and leaning on his teammates.” Going against the Titans presents some unusual challenges for the Bears. Their quarterback, Will Levis, has little playing experience. Further, their top receiver, DeAndre Hopkins, is questionable with a knee injury, and their elite running back, Derrick Henry, is now with the Baltimore Ravens. They also have a new head coach in Brian Callahan who spent the previous five seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals. With all of that change in Tennessee, Eberflus is not focused on the Titans, as the Bears' execution is the key to their success this season. “We have to be sound in our schemes. We have to play fast,” Eberflus said. “We have to be very good at our execution, and that’s what you hold onto, and you have to have answers for things that they do, and we’re working through that right now.” Being in the playoffs has not been a realistic goal for Chicago the first two years under Eberflus. However, it is this year that the rebuilding is seemingly complete for the Bears. That is why, throughout the offseason, Eberflus has emphasized the need to start fast to be a playoff contender. “Look at who makes it to the postseason. They start fast. I showed that to the guys in the spring. They were at least 2-2; most were 3-1. A couple were 4-0 in the NFC,” Eberflus said. “So, we did talk about that. The guys understand how important it is to start fast.” With how the defense finished last season, they looked as if they could have been contenders in the postseason and had a slim chance of making it near the end of the season. While that obviously did not come to fruition, part of the reason for that is the losses Chicago accrued early in the season. Besides all of the talent acquired during the offseason, the Bears also have more chemistry going into this opener because there were fewer injuries during training camp. “Much healthier throughout the course of training camp. Last year, we dealt with a bunch of injuries, a bunch of guys out at certain key spots. So, I think that hurt the continuity of the group. I know we lost a couple guys to injury early on in the season as well,” Eberflus said. “But, more continuity, better competition because the roster’s better. I think that’s really helped us in the skill positions, at the line position, the quarterback, all positions. So, I think that’s helped us.” Tennessee should be a relatively easier challenge compared to Chicago’s next game against the reigning AFC South Champions, the Houston Texans, who added more talent in the offseason without losing any crucial pieces of their team. The Bears’ game against the Texans on Sun. Sept. 15 (7:20 p.m. / NBC) also marks their first primetime game of the year.
