Game overview:
The Titans scored first on a nice 7+ minute opening drive to take a 7-0 lead. A minute later the Bears set up a WR screen/quick pass wonderfully and D.J. Moore ran straight for 62-yards and tied the score 7-7. A few minutes later, the Bears turned an RB screen pass set up into a 56-yard score and a 14-7 Bears lead. Two long TD passes for Justin Fields, passes that traveled about a total of 4-5 yards past the line of scrimmage and the receivers did the rest.
The Bears kept holding the lead, while the Titans kept driving the ball…but so many turnovers and reviewed turnovers and reviewed catches and reviewed everything…it was an even draw, lean Titans for QB play outside of the two long CHI TDs. I’m not sure I’ve seen a game with so much time spent under the hood looking at close call events. The Titans had 5-15 chances to get a 4th-quarter TD to win this game, but they couldn’t get it -- some of it good Bears D…some of it just dropped passes or other missed opportunities that were there for the taking.
If I were to describe the mood/flow of this game…it was ‘typical Titans football’ -- a scrappy team playing scrappy. Titans football never looks great/harmonic, but they give you 100% and somehow no matter how choppy it looks or how tough or weak the opponent is…the Titans are always in the game. I set all that up to say: The Bears matched them in playing ‘typical Titans football’…a heavy run game, hard hitting, clunky passing game, but always in the game and flying around the field. You expect that from the Titans…you haven’t from Chicago lately, but here they are -- the emerging Titans of the NFC North. They can win games/win a division, a weak division, with that style of play in 2023.
The Bears out-Titan’d the Titans here…and that’s exactly how they want to be, I believe, under Matt Eberflus. The Bears just played the perfect game…in their coach’s heart of hearts. And the Bears are adopting a style that fits their home stadium (windy and/or cold a lot) and fits their fanbase mentality…nothing shy of the ’85 Bears will ever do, but that’s the path the Bears organization should try and follow. It fits…it suits them. They have a good base of young talent for it.
Scouting Notes from the game:
-- We usually start this week’s player notes by reviewing a rookie QB, for obvious reasons. Well, we had another here…Will Levis (9-14 for 85 yards, 0 TD/1 INT, 1-6-0) made his debut -- but only after Malik Willis (16-25 for 189 yards, 0 TD/1 INT) started.
Let’s start out with this statement: Malik Willis is a better QB, currently, than Will Levis.
That’s a big statement because Willis looked so horrible last year, and many speculated Willis might get cut or traded this offseason. I wish he would…to go to a place where someone is going to want him to be their QB. The Titans are not that team.
Willis took a huge step forward this offseason…he’s halfway to becoming the new-age Michael Vick…or a version of…Justin Fields, possibly a better Justin Fields but he’s not there yet. He still has room to go, but in this game -- I saw the huge progression made in 2023. Willis is a talent and he’s going to matter someday…I just don’t know what day or for what team…could be the Titans, but probably not.
As long as Mike Vrabel is head coach, I suspect he will want the quarterback stylings of Will Levis to run/game manage his smashmouth offense…Levis suits the Vrabel football style better. Levis is also a talent, and Levis runs a more traditional offense whereas Willis is Michael Vick…you don’t know what he’s gonna do next. In a battle of radical playmakers vs. excellent game managers -- most every NFL head coach wants the game manager to do their bidding. It’s why Frank Reich wanted Bryce Young and avoided Anthony Richardson. Running THEIR playbook is more important than making plays for most NFL head coaches…because ‘plays’ (in coach’s minds) come from the coach’s playbook, not the individual talent (you might think that’s crazy but it’s 1,000% true). Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are two recent cases of QBs sick of their head coach’s ‘game plan’ and lack of trust in the QB’s talents. How could any organization chase off their Hall of Fame, generational QBs to run with the head coach’s control-freak desire and replace them with limited QBs who follow directions? We just saw it happen the past few years. It’s the norm not the exception.
And going with Will Levis over Malik Willis is fine…it’s probably the right call, all things considered -- I’m just predicting the future using the past as a guide. Willis is not the Plan A for the Titans future…he may steal it by being forced in early season if/when Tannehill fails or gets hurt, and Willis just captures everyone’s hearts…but he is not the primary future, Levis is. But if Tannehill got hurt Week 1, Willis would go in…he’s further along right now due to Levis being a rookie.
I thought Will Levis looked good for a rookie preseason debut. Better than Young and Stroud by a mile, but not as good as Anthony Richardson…just looking at/judging the big-name rookie QBs debuting this week…it’s not concrete scouting for forever, just judging this week. Levis was allowed to ‘play’ some here, he threw some downfield shots, he ran the final moment’s drive attempt to win the game and made a game-winning throw 20+ yards downfield but the WR gaffed/clanked it off his hands. Levis was not micromanaged like Young-Stroud in their Week 1.
Levis is good…Willis is good, and that makes me feel better about Willis because last year was so bad.
-- We have less to discuss at QB with the Bears…
Justin Fields (3-3 for 129 yards, 2 TDs/0 INT) threw a couple screen passes that turned into long TDs…he’ll get credit for that with the masses and his ADP will rise. Maybe he should. But just know…people want to love him, and they just got another reason too…his price goes up.
Rookie Tyson Bagent (4-5 for 37 yards, 0 TD/0 INT) came in late and played under control for a D2 UDFA rookie in a debut. Good for him. He needs time…and in a few years there might be something with him.
-- Titans RB review…
Rookie Tyjae Spears (6-32-0, 1-4-0/1) started and looked terrific. He may have started for TEN to ‘give the rookie an experience’ or he may be the #2 RB in reality already. He was also returning kicks. Spears looked fine. Last year, Julius Chestnut was the surprise Week 1 preseason starter, because Vrabel said he earned it…and what did that ultimately mean for Chestnut?
Hassan Haskins (6-12-1, 0-0-0/0) is the listed #2 RB, but he looked like his usual…bland, forgettable.
Julius Chestnut (7-46-0, 2-15-0/3) still looks better than Haskins to me every time I watch them, but he was in the game last and is listed on the depth chart as the #5 RB right now. He seems likely to be released pre-53-man. They should dump Haskins and go with Chestnut, but I don’t think they will.
-- The Bears RB review…
Khalil Herbert (4-15-0, 1-56-1/1) started, which he has been the listed starter on the depth charts all along. Lots of competition on the roster by Herbert is running first and taking a semi-broken-play screen pass that was then clear for a long, untouched TD helps him keep the ‘#1’ title.
D’Onta Foreman (3-9-0) came in after Herbert and looked fine/normal…but he was definitely treated as ‘second’ of the group, or should I say: treated as ‘not first’, for sure. I thought Foreman was going to easily win the #1 job…now, I’m not so sure. Always a bridesmaid for D’Onta…to start seasons…
Rookie Roschon Johnson (12-44-0, 3-2-0/4) came in third in the rotation, and he looked visibly bigger than the other, including Foreman…but Roschon moved just as well as any of the others. He looked visually impressive and played very well for his debut. Roschon is legit…but he’s gonna split with this group most likely.
-- Quick WR review…
D.J. Moore (1-62-1/1) had the best-looking long TD of the game off a quick screen/lateral pass…this one event happening will boost his ADP higher, for those FF-interested in him. I’m not interested in this passing game for FF…unless I thought DJM would be taking screens for 50+ yards every week.
Bears rookie Tyler Scott (1-9-0/2) was forgettable here…I really don’t even remember his one catch.
Titans rookie Colton Dowell (1-6-0/2) didn’t grab my attention either.
Small slot guys battle for Tennessee: Mason Kinsey (4-40-0/6) led all players in this game in targets vs. Kyle Philips (1-5-0/1), who I don’t even recall his one catch…but I did see his punt returns. The Very Deep Sleeper story on Philips is stone cold dead right now.
-- IDP notes…
Bears rookie CB Tyrique Stevenson (7 tackles, 1 TFL) played tough…all the camp reports on him were true. He’s likely a day one starter.
Rookie DTs Zacch Pickens (4 tackles, 1 sack) and Gervon Dexter (2 tackles) looked like good draft picks for this defense.
Bears FA pickup Terrell Lewis (2 tackles, 1 sack) might be one of the best pick-up-off-the-scrap-heap personnel moves of 2023. He’s been terrific in camp and was a menace pass rusher here too.
The Bears have a lot of good young defensive talent.
I think the Bears are becoming the better Titans, over the Titans, the more I reflect on this game. Like their paths are crossing…the Bears ascending and Titans falling. The Bears O-Line looked good/promising here…and the Titans O-Line was part of allowing an 8-sack event here.
I have some subscriber EXTRA notes from this game that will be published sometime later after this report publishes.
