Bears Special Teams Hurt Titans With Blocked Punt TD

The Chicago Bears are closing the gap on the Tennessee Titans.

Sep 8, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Tennessee Titans punter Ryan Stonehouse (4) punts the ball against the Chicago Bears during the first quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images / Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

The Tennessee Titans have done a good job at limiting mistakes and taking advantage of the Chicago Bears' miscues. However, things took a change in the third quarter of the Week 1 match.

With the ball on the Titans' 33-yard line, Ryan Stonehouse lined up to punt the ball deep into Bears territory. However, the punt was blocked by Bears defensive back Jonathan Owens, who also happens to be the husband of Olympic gymnast Simone Biles.

Here's a look at the play:

BEARS BLOCK THE PUNT TOUCHDOWN!pic.twitter.com/aFaalMhWKk https://t.co/ChQd6ESuXk

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 8, 2024

The Bears scored the touchdown, cutting their 14-point deficit in half after Cairo Santos knocked down the extra point.

The Titans have done a good job throughout the first three quarters of not allowing the Bears to have any kind of momentum. However, this could be exactly what Chicago needs to get itself back in the game.

The Titans had a 14-point lead and they were looking like they could ice the game if they scored another touchdown or field goal to make it a three-possession contest. However, that wasn't the case, and the crowd will be able to feed the Bears some energy going back into the game.

After the Titans got the ball back following the ensuing kickoff, the Titans didn't go very far with their drive. It started with a hold on second-year pro Peter Skoronski, which started the drive with a 1st & 20 play. While they got to 3rd & 12 just two plays later, quarterback Will Levis was sacked by defensive lineman Gervon Dexter, and that prompted Stonehouse to return to the field and punt the ball away.

This time, Stonehouse was able to get the ball to the Bears' 21-yard line in hopes of making it far more difficult for Chicago to score and possibly tie the game.

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