Bear Digest

Chicago Bears Report Card for Season-Opening Win Over Titans

Grading the Bears: Caleb Williams wasn't alone in dragging down Bears offensive grades but there were positives working in their favor.

Gene Chamberlain

Titans QB Will Levis firest it out before Andrew Billings' pass rush can be a problem in Sunday's Bears win.
Titans QB Will Levis firest it out before Andrew Billings' pass rush can be a problem in Sunday's Bears win. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Matt Eberflus called for patience, more or less.

His argument couldn't really be disputed on this day after the way the Bears won 24-17.

"I know in the NFL that every week's different," Eberflus said. "There will be times where the games ebb and flow. They really do. You've just got to be good as a team.

"It's never about just one side or one person. It's about us being able to figure it out during the game and figure out our winning formula for that particular day, and that could change."

This is sometimes true and couldn't have been more accurate than Sunday when the Bears scored 24 points without an offensive touchdown but had a defensive and special teams TD.

The part about the quarterback was something everyone needed to keep in mind starting the season. The Bears have a rookie. With rookies bad things happen.

WINNERS AND LOSERS FOR BEARS' OPENING WIN

"Once you get a solidified quarterback that's a seasoned veteran, it becomes clear how you operate and how you do things," Eberflus said. "We've seen all those guys in the past.

"Our guy's very talented. Again, this is his first game. He's going to continue to get better."

The problem is, the Bears went through one entire half struggling with their defense. That's the same self-proclaimed top five defense everyone heard about all through camp.

Here are the Bears grades for the opener, and keep in mind it evaluates the full game and not just the cheerful feel-good finish with fluky points and Will Levis playing giveaway.

IS VELUS JONES JR. REALLY THROUGH THIS TIME: PROBABLY NOT

LITTLE THINGS UPSET CALEB WILLIAMS IN WINNNG NFL DEBUT

ANALYSIS: BEARS HOPING TO WIN WITH TEAM BALL UNTIL CALEB WILLIAMS LEARNS

BEARS DEFENSE AND SPECIAL TEAMS CARRY CALEB WILLIAMS TO WIN

Running Attack: D

There was a decided lack of toughness, poor production on inside runs and in wide zone blocking the interior often broke down before the backs could get to the outside. One of the best two running plays of the game was by a wide receiver and not a running back. That was DJ Moore's first-down run on an end-around. Swift gained 20 of his 30 yards on one run. They had only 55 yards on 16 attempts by running backs and averaged 3.8 yards on the ground overall.

Passing Attack: D-

Williams averaged 3.2 yards per pass attempt. This is terrible. ESPN reported only one first-round draft pick in history has ever averaged less per attempt than Williams did. It wasn't all on Williams. Keenan Allen dropped a touchdown and had another ball that could have been ruled as a drop. The pass blocking struggled with consistency and it kept Williams from settling in and firing. The interior of the line, in particular, looked bad on the 19-yard sack Williams absorbed. The big three—Allen, Rome Odunze and DJ Moore—accounted for only 76 combined receiving yards.

Run Defense: C+

Their second-half run defense looked like last year. Their first-half run defense looked like 2022, when they finished next to last in the league stopping the run. Andrew Billings and T.J. Edwards, in particular, were beasts in the second half at shutting it off just in time. However, plenty of damage was done by Tennessee's 5.4 yards per carry.

Pass Defense: A-

The only flaws came in the first half, when Tyrique Stevenson had good position and still allowed the touchdown pass to Chig Okownko. He bounced back and made up for it with his game-winning pick-6. Two key interceptions were fine, and they did this last year. But the pass rush dominance from DeMarcus Walker and Darrell Taylor was unexpected and decisive. Walker forced the interceptions by Jaylon Johnson and Stevenson with his rush. The Bears have had a decent pass rush in some seasons, like 2018 and 2019. However, they have never had the pass rush that produces with the game on the line since possibly the Super Bowl in 2006. Walker and Taylor as complements to Montez Sweat shows they might have this.

Special Teams: A-

The only real flaw came courtesy of Velus Jones Jr's ferret-like hands. He muffed it and then played soccer with it. In years gone by, it was difficult for the opponent to recover a muffed kickoff because the defenders started from so far back. Now they're closer but they still can't move until the ball is touched. So, it was still difficult for the Titans to come up with the ball. but Jones accommodated them by kicking it as he reached down clumsily for it.  DeAndre Carter's 67-yard kick return was one of the key points of the game because it provided a spark when there had been none. He also had 12.8 yards per five punt returns, an excellent average.

The top special teams play for the Bears, of course, was Daniel Hardy's blocked punt and Jonathan Owens' return for the game-altering TD, first TD return on a blocked punt since Corey Wootten did it, ironically enough, against the Titans 10 years ago.

Coaching: B-

Give Eberflus credit for a well-called scheme at the end with the game on the line. The Titans went nowhere when they had a chance at the tie or a win. Over the course of the last two years, there have been far too many blown leads in the fourth quarter, but Eberflus had them a step ahead then. The work Eric Washington has done with defensive line coach Travis Smith with these Bears pass rushers really paid off.  Shane Waldron's play calling had too much high-risk, high-reward to it and the Bears had trouble sustaining long drives. This was a problem for Waldron in Seattle, as well.

Overall: C+

Eberflus mentioned how great it is to have a seasoned, veteran passer. But he doesn't have one yet, so they'll simply have to tread water with defense and special teams until he develops.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.