Chicago Bears vs Tennessee Titans – Week 1 Game Preview: Overview, Keys to Game, Insights
The 2024 NFL season is ready to begin and the Bears are beginning a new era with number one overall pick Caleb Williams making his first career start at quarterback. This is possibly the most anticipated season in Chicago in decades with the addition of numerous playmakers to support Williams, including WR Keenan Allen and 9th overall pick Rome Odunze.
The defense was solid in 2023 and is built around explosive pass rusher Montez Sweat and shutdown cornerback Jaylon Johnson. The Bears have to improve after a 7-10 record last season but they may be able to make a move if the offense significantly improves. That will depend on just how quickly Williams acclimates to the NFL, which undoubtably will be the story of Chicago’s season.
The first test for Matt Eberflus and company comes in the form of the Titans who head to Soldier Field for the opener Sunday afternoon. Tennessee struggled last season with a 6-11 record that got head coach Mike Vrable fired and marked the end of the Derrick Henry era, with the bruising running back heading to Baltimore as a free agent.
The Titans 2023 offense was one of the worst in football and second-year quarterback Will Levis has now been given the starting job heading into 2024. New head coach Brian Callahan was the Bengals offensive coordinator and the addition of wide receivers Tyler Boyd and Calvin Ridley indicate a shift to a more pass heavy attack.
Tennessee’s defense was a more solid unit, allowing 21.6 points per game in 2023, which was 16th in the NFL. Defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons is the best player on the defensive side of the ball. Preseason predictions are pretty down on the Titans, with most experts anticipating them finishing last in the AFC South.
If the Bears want to compete for a playoff spot, winning a game against an opponent with a talent deficit like Tennessee is going to be important. An undefeated preseason added even more hype to Chicago’s already hyped season but none of that matters once the real games begin. It’s time to see just how much this team really has improved.
Where to Watch/Listen
- Sunday, September 8 at 12:00pm CT on FOX, WBBM Radio (English), and WRTO Radio (Spanish).
Keys to Victory
Here are my keys to Sunday’s game. If these things happen, the Bears should have a shot to win.
- Generate a running game to support the rookie quarterback. Caleb Williams is going to be under a lot of pressure in his first career start so getting some production on the ground from D’Andre Swift and Khalil Herbert would really help to ease that a bit.
- Put Will Levis in third and long situations. The Titans want to avoid having to pick up big chunks of yardage through the air. So the Bears need to do a good job against the run and force the shaky Levis to have more difficult conversions.
- Keep winning the turnover battle like they did in 2023. The Bears had a +3 turnover differential in 2023 and it was a big factor in many of their wins. Creating takeaways is something Chicago’s defense is very good at under Eberflus and is a trend that must continue in 2024 if they want to contend.
Don’t Tell Me the Odds
The Bears are 3.5 point favorites at home against the Titans Sunday. Vegas has set the over/under at 44.5 so they expect a decent amount of scoring in this one.
It’s Football Weather
The weather conditions at Soldier Field are expected to be perfect for football Sunday with temperatures in the mid 70s, partly cloudy skies, and a 10 mile-an-hour west wind.
My Prediction
All the anticipation from the last six months has led to this, the first game of the Caleb Williams era. There are definitely going to be growing pains and mistakes but I don’t think it’s going to hold the Bears back in this game. The Titans are not a very good team and Chicago is more talented, at least on paper. I’m predicting the home team takes a 20-13 victory to get things started on the right foot.
Official Bears Preview
Wide receiver D.J. Moore teams up with Jeff Joniak and Tom Thayer on the latest episode of Bears, etc. to preview the 2024 season and the Bears’ Week 1 matchup with the Tennessee Titans.
