Football fans usually expect a No. 1 overall pick to come out firing, lighting up the scoreboard like a video game. But if you actually watched the Chicago Bears vs Tennessee Titans game that kicked off the 2024 season, you know reality was a lot weirder.
The Bears won. They moved to 1-0. But they didn't score a single offensive touchdown. Honestly, it was one of the strangest box scores you'll ever see in professional football.
The Bizarre Reality of Chicago Bears vs Tennessee Titans
If you just looked at the final score of 24-17, you’d assume Caleb Williams had a decent debut. He didn't. Not really. The rookie finished with 93 passing yards on 29 attempts. That is basically 3.2 yards per throw, which is—to put it bluntly—pretty rough for a guy hyped as a generational talent.
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But here's the thing: Chicago's defense and special teams decided they didn't need the offense.
Tennessee actually dominated most of the game. They jumped out to a 17-0 lead. Will Levis looked comfortable early on, finding Chig Okonkwo for a score and watching Tony Pollard rip off a 26-yard touchdown run. At halftime, Soldier Field was quiet. Fans were starting to do that thing Chicago fans do—preparing for the worst.
How the Momentum Shifted
It started with a blocked punt. Daniel Hardy got through, and Jonathan Owens (yeah, Simone Biles' husband) scooped it up for a 21-yard score. Suddenly, it was 17-10.
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Then the fourth quarter happened. Will Levis made a mistake that he probably still sees when he closes his eyes. Under pressure from DeMarcus Walker, Levis tried to flick the ball out of bounds while he was horizontal, falling toward the turf.
Tyrique Stevenson was right there.
He didn't just catch it; he took it 43 yards back for the go-ahead touchdown. The Bears became the first team in NFL history to win a game where they trailed by 17+ points while gaining fewer than 150 total yards of offense. That is a stat so specific and weird it almost sounds fake, but it's the absolute truth.
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Why the Caleb Williams Debut Was So Polarizing
People were arguing in the stands and on social media for weeks after this one. Was Caleb Williams a bust? Or was he just a rookie behind a shaky offensive line?
- The Stats: 14 of 29, 93 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs.
- The Context: Keenan Allen dropped a touchdown in the end zone.
- The Pressure: Tennessee’s front, led by Jeffery Simmons, was lived in the Bears' backfield.
Williams looked rattled. He took a massive 19-yard sack after scrambling backward, something he could get away with at USC but not against NFL speed. Yet, he didn't throw a pick. He didn't lose the game. In Chicago, after decades of quarterbacks throwing the ball to the other team, "not losing the game" is actually a step up.
The Will Levis Meltdown
On the other side, the Tennessee Titans had this game in the bag. Their defense allowed only 148 total yards. That should be a win 99% of the time.
Coach Brian Callahan looked shell-shocked at the podium afterward. He talked about "knocking a team out" and how they failed to do it. Levis finished with two interceptions and a fumble. The "pick-six" was the backbreaker. It wasn't just a turnover; it was a gift-wrapped victory for a Chicago team that was struggling to move the chains.
Historic Context of the Matchup
The Chicago Bears vs Tennessee Titans history isn't exactly a storied rivalry like the Bears and Packers. They don't play often. Before this 2024 meeting, the Titans had won the previous two matchups in 2020 and 2016.
The most famous game between these two might still be the 2012 blowout where the Bears went into Nashville and dropped 51 points. That day, Charles Tillman forced four fumbles. It seems when these two teams get together, the Bears' defense always finds a way to score more points than the actual offense.
Breaking Down the Key Performers
Cairo Santos was low-key the MVP for Chicago. He hit field goals from 24, 50, and 48 yards. Without those, the defensive scores wouldn't have mattered.
T.J. Edwards was also a monster, racking up 15 tackles and a fumble recovery. For the Titans, Tony Pollard looked like a great offseason addition, rushing for 82 yards and that early score. But the running game disappeared once the mistakes started piling up.
What We Learned for the Future
- Defense wins games, but offenses need to show up. You can't rely on blocked punts and pick-sixes every week. Chicago found that out the hard way as the season progressed.
- Rookie growing pains are real. No matter how much "aura" a quarterback has, the NFL speed is a different beast.
- Ball security is everything. Tennessee outplayed Chicago in almost every category except the one that counts: turnovers.
If you are looking at this matchup for future betting or fantasy purposes, always look at the defensive pressure. The Titans' ability to stifle the run and get to the QB was elite, but their offensive volatility killed them.
To get the most out of analyzing these teams, keep an eye on the turnover margins. Teams that win the turnover battle by +2 or more, like the Bears did here, win over 80% of their games regardless of how many yards they gain. Focus on the pressure rates of the defensive lines rather than just the passing yardage of the quarterbacks.