Caleb Williams’ debut did not go as planned, but the Chicago Bears’ defense ensured a win. Tyrique Stevenson returned an interception 43 yards for a touchdown, leading the Bears to a 24-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
Despite being heavily anticipated, Williams’ first game was overshadowed by his defense’s performance. The Bears, who had a 10-24 record over the last two seasons, overcame a 17-0 deficit in the first half without scoring an offensive touchdown. They stifled the Titans in the second half and disrupted the debut of Titans coach Brian Callahan.
Williams acknowledged the challenge, stating, “It was a frustrating game. But the most important thing is that it shows a bunch of the personality of this team, I would say — the fight, the resiliency that we had.”
The Titans, while shutting down Chicago’s offense, were unable to avoid giving up 17 points from turnovers. Callahan commented, “It was a winning effort on defense. They did a really nice job. They made life hard for those guys, exactly how we wanted to. And we just handed them points.”
Williams, the No. 1 overall pick, completed 14 of 29 passes for 93 yards and had a 55.7 passer rating. Despite the modest performance, he became the first quarterback selected first overall to win his debut since David Carr in 2002. The previous 15 No. 1 picks had a combined record of 0-14-1 in their first starts.
The Bears narrowed the Titans’ lead to 17-16 with a field goal by Cairo Santos. Stevenson’s interception return for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter gave Chicago the lead. A 2-point conversion pass from Williams to D’Andre Swift made it 24-17.
Jaylon Johnson sealed the game with an interception of a deep pass intended for Tyler Boyd on fourth down at the Tennessee 40 with just over a minute left.
Teams that score zero touchdowns and trail by 17 or more points have historically had a poor record in the Super Bowl era, standing at 3-1,225. The Bears’ win marks their second such victory, with the previous one in 2006 against Arizona.
Chicago’s receiving corps was subdued, with DJ Moore catching five passes for 36 yards, Keenan Allen totaling 29 yards, and rookie Rome Odunze recording one catch for 11 yards. The Bears’ offense managed 148 yards and scored their other touchdown on special teams. Daniel Hardy blocked a punt in the third quarter, leading to Jonathan Owens’ 21-yard return for a touchdown.
Owens, who had taken time off from training camp to support his wife, gymnast Simone Biles, expressed his excitement, saying, “Going back to the sideline, all the guys are excited for you. The defense is excited. The energy from the stadium is just rolling in. It didn’t feel like real life.”
Santos’ 50-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter made it 17-13. The Bears had an opportunity to take the lead when Darrell Taylor stripped and sacked Will Levis, and T.J. Edwards recovered at the Tennessee 31. However, they settled for another field goal, closing the gap to one point.
Levis, in his second season, was 19 of 32 for 127 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Tony Pollard rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown for the Titans. Levis remarked, “We just got to be better. That’s not us. That first half was a winning offensive football game. Second half, that can lose you games. Not good across the board.”
