The Bears had been outgained by the Titans 244-148 and didn’t rating an offensive landing. Williams accomplished 14 of 29 passes for 93 yards and a 55.7 passer ranking. Swift led the Bears in speeding with 30 yards on 10 carries.
“Offensive play, clearly we did not carry out how we needed to,” Williams mentioned. “We wish to be probably the most environment friendly crew on the market, myself included. Did not carry out the way in which I needed to. I missed a couple of handed that I usually do not miss … Felt like I used to be in the precise place on the proper time, and I’d say I used to be seeing it nicely. Simply missed and misfired and inserting the ball the place I needed to.”
The Titans took a 7-0 lead on Tony Pollard’s 26-yard landing run with :41 left within the first quarter, capping an 8-play, 79-yard drive. The rating got here after the Bears protection had pressured three-and-outs on Tennessee’s first two possessions.
Velus Jones Jr. fumbled the following kickoff, dropping the ball and kicking it ahead, the place it was recovered by the Titans’ Julius Chestnut on the Chicago 23.
Taylor recorded the Bears’ first sack of the season and Tennessee settled for Nick People’s 40-yard area objective, widening the margin to 10-0.
The Titans elevated their result in 17-0 on Levis’ 17-yard TD go to tight finish Chig Okonkwo with 3:44 remaining within the first half. The TD capped a 14-play, 73-yard drive that was sustained by Levis’ 22-yard go to Calvin Ridley on third-and-15 and an offside penalty on Montez Sweat on third-and-5.
DeAndre Carter, who already had punt returns of 16 and 20 yards, returned the following kickoff 67 yards to the Titans’ 34. That arrange Santos’ 24-yard area objective, drawing the Bears to inside 17-3 with :27 remaining within the first half.
The Titans outgained the Bears 88-5 within the first quarter and 179-51 within the first half.
The Bears offense stalled once more on its first drive of the second half, punting on fourth-and-30 after two incomplete passes, two penalties and a sack.
However the protection and particular groups saved the day, propelling the Bears to the season-opening victory.
After permitting two TDs and a area objective on three straight first-half possessions, the protection held the Titans scoreless within the second half.
“I feel we needed to sit again and notice who we’re,” Stevenson mentioned, “cease enjoying for the hype, cease enjoying for every little thing else round us and simply notice that we put in work only for a second like this.”
“We simply responded,” Johnson added. “We knew that wasn’t like us. We had a couple of huge explosive performs from runs that obtained away from us, some miscommunication. However general we saved pushing, saved going. We all know that we’re a dominant protection and that is what we confirmed.”