DEFENSIVE LINE: A
On a day when the offense was poor, the line led a yeoman’s effort to keep the Bears in it and give them the lead. DeMarcus Walker had four quarterback hits, including a near sack that forced Titans quarterback Will Levis into a desperation flip that cornerback Tyrique Stevenson intercepted and returned 43 yards for a touchdown to give the Bears a 24-17 lead. Darrell Taylor had two sacks, including a strip-sack of Levis that linebacker T.J. Edwards recovered, leading to a fourth-quarter field goal. Defensive tackle Gervon Dexter had a sack that forced a punt and two quarterback hits. Andrew Billings added a tackle for loss and two quarterback hits.
SPECIAL TEAMS: B
Velus Jones botched his first kickoff return of the season, leading to a turnover and field goal that put the Bears in a 10-0 hole. But that was a rare mishap. Daniel Hardy’s blocked punt and Jonathan Owens’ 21-yard return for a touchdown sparked the comeback. Cairo Santos was 3-for-3 on field goals — from 50, 48 and 24 yards. DeAndre Carter had punt returns of 20 and 16 yards. Rookie Tory Taylor had three of his four punts inside the 20.
CALEB WILLIAMS: D
Rookie Caleb Williams (14-for-29, 93 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs, 55.7) wasn’t expected to light it up in his NFL debut, but he had been impressive enough in training camp and the preseason to expect better than this, even with shoddy protection. Williams’ longest completion was 13 yards to DJ Moore. His luck appears better. Justin Fields was 1-6 with a rating of 55.7 or lower. Williams already is 1-0.
SHANE WALDRON: D
The offense was arguably a bigger disappointment in Williams’ debut. Williams had few open receivers to throw to, though the swing pass to DeAndre Swift for a two-point conversion was an impressive exception. The Bears gained just 148 yards on 53 plays, 2.8 yards per play.
OFFENSIVE LINE: D
Center Coleman Shelton should never be as noticeable as he was in his Bears debut. Shelton was beaten badly in the first quarter, leading to Williams taking a 19-yard sack. He was beaten again in the second quarter, but Williams was able to escape for a positive play. Nate Davis and Ryan Bates rotated at right guard. Overall, the line has a lot of work to do.
On a day when the offense was poor, the defensive line led a yeoman’s effort to keep the Bears in it and give them the lead, earning the position an A.
By Mark Potash
[month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone]
The Caleb Williams Era began with the defense and special teams needing to step up.
Some fans said rookie quarterback Caleb Williams failed to live up to the pre-season hype. After trailing for three quarters, the defense and special teams lifted the Bears to a 24-17 win.
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