The Chicago Bears opened the preseason with a 23-17 win over the Tennessee Titans, where the starting offense had some explosive plays and the defense dominated.
Justin Fields had an easy afternoon, completing all three passes, including two screens, to wide receiver DJ Moore and running back Khalil Herbert, that went for long touchdowns.
The defense did Matt Eberflus’ HITS principle proud, totaling eight sacks, four takeaways and holding the Titans scoreless in the second half.
There was plenty to break down following Chicago’s victory against Tennessee. Our Bears Wire staff is sharing their thoughts following the Week 1 preseason outing.
The Bears’ Week 1 preseason win vs. Titans
Alyssa Barbieri
The Bears certainly kicked the preseason off on a high note with an impressive outing for the starting offense and a dominant defensive effort. First off, welcome to Chicago, DJ Moore. I don’t know why I’m surprised that Moore’s first play as a Bear was a 62-yard touchdown catch-and-run to the house. Eventually I’ll get used to having a playmaker like Moore on the roster. Right now, I’m just enjoying the ride. As far as Justin Fields goes, yes he went 3-of-3 for 129 yards with two touchdowns for a perfect 158.3 passer rating. But I was more impressed with what he did in the short passing game, throwing screens and letting his playmakers make something happen, than if he had thrown a bomb to Moore. That will come, no doubt. But watching Fields make strides in an area where he struggled last season was encouraging.
While I’m not ready to declare the Bears defense is back, the unit had an impressive outing against the Titans. Chicago brought pressure on both of Tennessee’s quarterbacks, totaling eight sacks and forcing four turnovers (two interceptions and two fumble recoveries). They also held Tennessee scoreless in the second half. It was watching Matt Eberflus’ HITS principle come to life. There’s a lot of young talent on this roster, which should make for some interesting roster battles ahead of final cut downs later this month.
There were several roster bubble players who stood out – for good and bad reasons. Terrell Lewis continues to be the underrated star of the summer, taking his impressive training camp outings and translating it into live action. Lewis will be battling Trevis Gipson, who took his demotion seriously, for one of those final defensive line spots. Defensive end Jalen Harris, safety A.J. Thomas and safety Bralen Trahan also had standout outings. Unfortunately, Velus Jones Jr. didn’t help his cause. After hearing how he’d improved as a punt returner, his afternoon was defined by another muffed punt. We could be seeing the last of Jones in Chicago.
Brendan Surgue
If we’re going to watch a Bears preseason game, at least it was a fun and entertaining one. This game truly had everything. Long touchdowns by the starting offense, a parade of turnovers later in the game, quite a few sacks, a dramatic finish, and no serious injuries. What more could you ask for out of a meaningless preseason opener?
It’s important to note after the Bears won as many preseason games as regular season games last year, I already went into this year’s preseason with managed expectations good or bad. That being said, seeing the starting offense score not one, but two long touchdowns on back-to-back possessions had me laughing. When’s the last time two Bears players not named Justin Fields had such dynamic plays on offense? D.J. Moore made it look easy on his 62-yard score while Khalil Herbert refused to go down on his 56-yard touchdown. Both plays also featured excellent blocking downfield by the offensive line, who had a solid day after concerns surfaced during camp.
Fields’ stat line is already being judged but there’s no reason to dig deep into it. He played seven total snaps with three passes. He helped facilitate the long touchdowns and that’s great. He didn’t show anything in the deeper passing game but that’s alright. It will come soon enough. The fact he didn’t take a hit or suffer an injury is what’s most important.
On defense, it was a little jarring watching the starting unit get worked by Malik Willis on the opening drive. The pressure was nonexistent and some of the defensive backs were out of position. But they responded well and didn’t give up as the game went on. The competitive play in the preseason has been a staple of Matt Eberflus since he arrived in Chicago, and it hasn’t gone away. Young players like Tyrique Stevenson, Zacch Pickens, and Kyler Gordon were busting their behinds out there. But it was edge rushers Trevis Gipson and Terrell Lewis who really jumped off the screen with their impressive performances.
All in all, it’s nice to get a win even if it doesn’t count. What matters is staying healthy and seeing the young players develop before the regular season begins.
Lucas Hunt
“Fields only threw three passes!” “Fields stats were padded by Moore and Herbert!” “The defense only looked so good because they’re playing back ups!” Two words: don’t care! The Bears looked really good in their first live-action game of the season, and the stars weren’t the only ones who had highlight performances. Players on every level of the team, both offense and defense, played hard and with passion.
Does that mean Chicago is destined to win the Super Bowl? As much as I want to believe that, most likely not. What it does mean, however, is head coach Matt Eberflus prepared this team much better than coaches of the past, namely Matt Nagy, ever had. The player’s performances were also very much real, and their play in yesterday’s game will be a major factor when deciding where they should be placed on the depth chart.
Overall, the Bears got a good win filled with great play, and fans should be optimistic about where their team is going.
Ryan Fedrau
It’s very exciting to have Bears football back, even if it’s only preseason. I was more than happy with how the starters played on offense and loved how the second half looked. My only complaint of the game is that backup quarterback P.J. Walker didn’t play well, and when he was out there, the offense stalled. I am worried about what would happen if he is asked to come in and play. It wouldn’t be good, I can assure that. Outside of that, it was a great game and a great team win. On to Indianapolis to play the Colts.
Nate Atkins
Bears vs. Titans provided a glimpse of what could be this upcoming season. Justin Fields and DJ Moore look like an exciting duo, with Moore’s 62 yard touchdown catch, reinforcing Chicago’s decision to add him in the package they received for the first overall pick. The defense was nothing short of spectacular: four turnovers and eight sacks. Rookie defensive linemen Zacch Pickens and Travis Bell each got a sack. We’ll have to wait another week to see what Gervon Dexter can do.
It’s important to remember it’s the first game of the preseason but it’s evident the Bears are laying a foundation that should excite the fan base and worry the rest of the NFL.
Jarrett Bailey
The biggest takeaway I had is that D.J. Moore may go down as the acquisition of the offseason. He’s quietly been one of the best receivers in football for the last several seasons, but playing on bad teams with bad quarterbacks have kept national eyes off of him. He will take the offense to new heights, and hopefully that will see more Ws in the record column.
Defensively, good God almighty did the pass rush get after it. Sure, we can take it with a grain of salt being that the majority of the reps were backups vs. backups, but racking up eight sacks is something that the Bears can feel happy about. Trevis Gipson, especially put in work, totalling three hits on the quarterback and accounting for one of the eight sacks.
Did we learn anything about Justin Fields? No. But it was a promising showing from the Bears as a whole. Now, we await the dress rehearsal game in Week 2 against the Colts.
