Two big advantages the Titans have over the Chicago Bears in Week 1
NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Titans will begin the 2024 regular season with a matchup against the Chicago Bears on Sunday at Soldier Field. It's a tough draw for Tennessee to kick off the season. The upstart Bears have winning aspirations and the roster to match. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams will make his highly anticipated NFL […]
NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Titans will begin the 2024 regular season with a matchup against the Chicago Bears on Sunday at Soldier Field.
It's a tough draw for Tennessee to kick off the season. The upstart Bears have winning aspirations and the roster to match. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams will make his highly anticipated NFL debut throwing to a plethora of explosive weapons.
As Brian Callahan said in a press conference earlier this week, the Titans will "have their hands full" with all the talent on Chicago's sideline. But Tennessee has a trick or two of their own that could spell trouble for the Bears.
Here's a look at the two biggest advantages the Titans have over the Bears that they will need to capitalize on in order to pick up a win on the road in the Windy City.
1. Quarterback Experience
Caleb Williams is a future star. His college tape says it all, but just in case NFL fans needed another reminder of how good Williams is going to be, the rookie dazzled in his two NFL preseason appearances.
Williams should provide the Bears with a huge upgrade at quarterback over Justin Fields from 2023. But even the good rookie quarterbacks can struggle in their first NFL action.
For example, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud took the league by storm and was eventually named the 2023 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Texans wound up in the AFC playoff picture. But in Week 1, Stroud had just 5.5 yards per pass attempt. He did not throw a touchdown pass and the Texans lost 25-9 at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens defense.
If the Titans are going to win on the road in Week 1, they'll need to make life difficult for Williams and bring the pressure. Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson hasn't met a blitz he doesn't like, and it's not hard to see a scenario where the pressure of an NFL debut combined with an aggressive defensive scheme can spoil the fun for Bears fans.
Will Levis has only appeared in nine NFL games. He's by no means a seasoned vet. But he has already started multiple primetime games in hostile environments and is adjusted to the speed of an NFL regular season matchup. That in itself is a leg up for the Titans heading into Week 1.
2. Interior line play
The strongest position group on the Titans 2024 roster could very well be the interior defensive line. Jeffery Simmons has 21.5 sacks in 44 games over the last three seasons and he's now joined by 2024 second-round draft pick T'Vondre Sweat on the starting defense.
Between Simmons (6-foot-4, 305 pounds) and Sweat (6-foot-5, 366 pounds), Tennessee is big and physical up front and nearly impossible to block simultaneously. If teams are going to double team the two-time Pro Bowler, they're likely gambling by leaving a 366-pound defender single blocked.
The Titans defensive front has proven to be disruptive throughout most of training camp and the preseason. They can collapse the pocket from the inside and force an opposing offense to play off schedule.
Conversely, Chicago's interior offensive line is a big question mark. New starting center Coleman Shelton won a long position battle over Ryan Bates, but led all NFL centers with 34 QB pressures allowed in 2023.
Left guard Teven Jenkins is a candidate to have a breakout season, but injuries are always a concern with him. He missed some time in training camp, and while he is fully healthy and ready to go for Week 1, Jenkins is more of a question mark for me than solid starter.
The same thing goes for Bears right guard (and former Titan) Nate Davis. Davis is staying true to his old Tennessee habits since making the move to Chicago. He has had trouble staying on the field and has had some inconsistent efforts even when he is out there.
The uncertainty for the Bears up front partnered with Tennessee's strong interior defensive line could be exactly what the Titans need to get after Caleb Williams and stifle Chicago's offense. It's a good matchup for Tennessee in that regard.
History favors Titans over Bears, but this year might be different
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