CHICAGO -- Sunday started as a day that was supposed to be all about Caleb Williams' arrival as the Bears' franchise quarterback.
But it ended as a reminder of the rocky path that normally awaits a rookie quarterback, and that the Bears have a defense that can carry him on days he doesn't have his A-game.
Williams and the offense spent almost all day stuck in neutral or going in reverse against the Tennessee Titans defense. Tennessee jumped out to a 17-0 lead and had command of the game well into the third quarter.
But Jonathan Owens' scoop-and-score on a blocked punt got the Bears within seven, and Tyrique Stevenson's pick-six gave them a 24-17 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
Williams struggled in his official NFL debut, and the Bears could not run the football against Tennessee's front. Williams finished the day 14-for-29 for 92 yards and a rating of 55.5. The Bears only rushed for 86 yards, most of which came on their final drive.
But the Bears' defense put the clamps on Titans young quarterback Will Levis and carried the Bears to an improbable comeback win.
Here's what we learned in the Bears' 24-17 win over the Titans in Williams' debut:
Chicago Bears
Suboptimal start
An electric Soldier Field was ready to explode Sunday, but the Bears were unable to light the fuze during a lackluster first half.
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Williams and the offense found little success in the first 30 minutes. Williams went 8-for-14 for 52 yards and a rating of 65.2 in the first half. Williams also took a 19-yard sack on a critical play during the first quarter that knocked the Bears out of field goal range.
The poor start wasn't only on a rookie quarterback making his first career NFL start. The offensive line, specifically center Coleman Shelton and right guard Nate Davis, was bullied by the Titans' interior defensive line, which played a major role in the struggles of both the run and pass game.
The Bears racked up just 16 rushing yards in the first half.
Head coach Matt Eberflus' defense came out strong, forcing back-to-back three-and-outs to start. But the Titans' ground game got going on their third drive, and a 26-yard rushing score by Tony Pollard gave Tennessee an early 7-0 lead.
The Bears' defense gave up an average of 86 yards on the ground per game last season, but the Titans gashed them for 115 in the first half Sunday.
After a short field goal made it 10-0 Titans, quarterback Will Levis engineered a 14-play, 83-yard drive that extended the lead to 17-0 late in the second quarter. Levis finished off the drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass to tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo. Okonkwo made a leaping catch against cornerback Tyrique Stevenson in the end zone.
Velus' final mistake?
Bears general manager Ryan Poles elected to keep running back/wide receiver Velus Jones on the 53-man roster despite several critical errors during Jones' first two seasons.
The Bears entered the game confident that Jones would make an impact as a kick returner due to the new rules.
But Jones' first return attempt of the season ended in disaster. Jones let the ball go through his hands and then kicked it down the field, allowing the Titans to recover it at the Bears' 23-yard line.
The Bears yanked Jones after the miscue and inserted DeAndre Carter as the primary kick returner.
That should be the final inexcusable mistake Jones makes as a Bear. For a team that is supposed to start an ascension in 2024, they can no longer afford those types of errors.
Special teams be special
The Bears' offense stayed stuck in the mud to begin the third quarter. Williams had a pass batted down at the line and then was sacked on third-and-20 after two pre-snap penalties on the offensive line.
But the defense forced a punt, and the punt return unit injected life back into a comatose Soldier Field.
Defensive end Daniel Hardy got quick penetration and blocked the punt, allowing safety Jonathan Owens to scoop it up and return it for a touchdown, cutting the Titans' lead to 17-10.
Non-existent run game
The Bears' run-game issues continued in the second half as the offensive line continued to get bullied by Tennessee's defensive front. Rookie defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat had his way with whoever the Bears put in front of him.
Entering the fourth quarter, Williams and Jones led the team with 11 rushing yards a piece.
The Bears finished the game with 86 rushing yards on 20 carries (4.3 yards per carry). But 14 of those came on a sweep to DJ Moore.
Swift led the team with 30 yards on 10 carries.
Defense does it themselves
With Williams and the Bears' offense unable to get going, the defense took it upon themselves to take control against Levis and the Titans.
Taylor's strip-sack, which was recovered by T.J. Edwards, led to a 48-yard field goal by Cairo Santos, which cut Tennessee's lead to 17-16.
Then, on the ensuing drive, DeMarcus Walker got pressure on Levis on third-and-6. Walker had Levis in his grasp and the quarterback inexplicably tried to flip the ball out of bounds. The ball never got to the sideline and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson picked it off and walked it in for a 43-yard pick-six to give Chicago its first lead of the game.
A successful two-point conversion made it 24-17 Bears under eight minutes to play.
The Titans had one final chance to tie the game but Jaylon Johnson picked off Levis to ensure the Bears got off to a 1-0 start.
Rookie QB rollercoaster begins
Williams looked like a rookie Sunday against the Titans.
He took a bad sack that cost them 19 yards in the first half. He was inaccurate and got sped up as the Titans' pass rush continued to pressure him. He had a number of balls tipped at the line of scrimmage and was lucky he didn't throw his first career interception on a ball that was wide of Moore and deflected into the hands of Rome Odunze.
The No. 1 overall pick did have a possible touchdown pass dropped by Keenan Allen, but overall it was a rough showing for a young quarterback who will have to go through growing pains in Year 1.
