The Tennessee Titans got off to a good start in their preseason Week 1 game against the Chicago Bears, but a quiet second half ultimately led to Tennessee dropping the contest, 23-17.
Tennessee scored 17 points in the first half, with both young quarterbacks leading the offense to touchdown drives in the first two quarters, but the Titans were unable to get on the scoreboard in the final two frames.
Meanwhile, the Bears were able to secure three field goals in the final two quarters to pull ahead, and they thwarted two potential game-winning drives from the Titans with under two minutes left.
Thankfully, it’s the preseason, so the loss means nothing in the grand scheme of things.
The vast majority of Tennessee’s starters on both sides of the ball did not play in this game, but we did get a look at the starting offensive line for a series. We also got an extended look at quarterbacks Will Levis and Malik Willis, both of whom had their ups and downs.
Unfortunately, both signal-callers had to contend with poor pass protection from the backups. We’ll take a look at that and much more in the wake of Tennessee’s preseason Week 1 loss to the Bears.
Final score: Bears 23, Titans 17
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
| TEN | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| CHI | 14 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 23 |
Players who didn't suit up
All the #Titans who did not play in Chicago.
Twenty-four guys. pic.twitter.com/vmL8Bskwbw
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) August 12, 2023
Instant analysis: Offense
-The Titans projected starting offensive line (LT Andre Dillard, LG Peter Skoronski, C Aaron Brewer, RG Daniel Brunskill, RT Chris Hubbard) only played the opening series, with the drive resulting in a touchdown. The pass protection and run-blocking were both good, which is a great sign for a group that has had its issues in training camp.
-Malik Willis (16-25, 189 YDS, INT; 3 CAR, 22 YDS, TD) looked much-improved from where he was last season. His throws were more accurate and he displayed impressive pocket presence on several occasions, although he certainly isn’t perfect in that area by any means. He was also more decisive. The offense also had a delay of game while he was on a the field. Willis had a 30-yard completion to Chris Moore on his first pass and completed the drive with a rushing touchdown, and he led a two-minute drive at the end of the first half into field goal range to set the Titans up for three points. Unfortunately, his bid for a game-winning drive fell short at the 10-yard line after moving the ball down the field. He had a touchdown to Mason Kinsey but the pass was too high, which further underscored some of the accuracy issues he still has. Willis threw a pick on a pass that had too much zip and was a little high despite having a clean pocket, but it should’ve been caught by TE Josh Whyle, nonetheless. He was the victim of a strip sack on a play where he held the ball a bit too long. Overall, it was a good day for the second-year quarterback, who looked miles ahead of where he was in 2022. Adding to that, he’s secure as QB2 for at least another week.
-Will Levis (9-14, 85 YDS, INT; 1 CAR, 6 YDS) had his hiccups in his debut, but he didn’t look lost out there by any means. His accuracy was lacking on some throws, but he was able to lead Tennessee to a scoring drive (Hassan Haskins punched it in). The Kentucky product also showed good pocket presence on multiple occasions, flashed his plus athleticism and displayed his arm talent, especially on a nice throw on the run to WR Mason Kinsey for 21 yards. Levis’ offensive line didn’t do him any favors, but he also needs to speed up his internal clock. Levis had a chance to win the game with about 30 seconds left but the drive fell short after an interception.
-While we got an extended look at both young signal-callers, it’s important to note that pass protection from the backups in front of them was not good. Willis and Levis were sacked four times each, but none of them came from the first-team unit. Jaelyn Duncan and Xavier Newman stood out as the biggest culprits.
-Tyjae Spears (6 CAR, 32 YDS; 1 REC, 6 YDS) looked as advertised, showing good moves and burst on multiple runs. He even broke some tackles and laid a nasty stiff-arm on his longest run of the day, which went for 14 yards. Spears also had a good kick return for 22 yards. It was a very impressive performance for the rookie back, who added one catch for four yards.
-RB Julius Chestnut flashed in this one, with his highlight coming on a 26-yard run. While RB Hassan Haskins found the end zone, there’s no doubt Chestnut was better overall on the day. Fellow RB Jonathan Ward suffered a knee injury so we didn’t get to see much of him.
-It was a rough debut for TE Josh Whyle (2 REC, 9 YDS), who had a Willis pass goes off his hands for an INT (it was a bit high but should have been caught), and then he lost a fumble.
-Racey McMath needed to have a good game and he did just that, reeling in a team-high 53 yards on three catches. Mason Kinsey finished second in receiving yards (40), followed by Kearis Jackson (34), Tre’Shaun Harrison (34) and Reggie Roberson (20). There weren’t any real “wow” moments from this group, so the race for WR6 (if there is one) remains very close.
Instant analysis: Defense
-The Titans didn’t have the vast majority of their starters out there, so that’s the good news. The bad news is, the depth guys allowed two big touchdown plays in the first two series against Bears starters, although officials missed a block in the back on the first. The second was clean. Things settled down as the game progressed as the Bears brought in their second- and third-stringers, but that didn’t do much to erase the concerns over depth on the defense. The unit did force two turnovers.
-LB Jack Gibbens and LB Chance Campell played the majority of snaps at inside linebacker early on. Not a good sign for LB Monty Rice.
-CB Tre Avery (INT), LB Ben Niemann (fumble) and LB Luke Gifford (fumble on punt) were responsible for the three Titans turnovers. Niemann’s was made possible by a punch-out by S Shyheim Carter.
-Outside of a few plays, the Titans’ pass-rush was mostly non-existent. Tennessee tallied two sacks in total, with OLBs Sam Okuayinonu and Caleb Murphy notching one each.
-CB Eric Garror stood out with a pair of good open-field tackles. He tallied four tackles on the day, two of which went for a loss, and he had a pair of punt returns, one of which went for 17 yards.
Instant analysis: Special teams
Kick returners: RB Tyjae Spears (1-22), RB Hassan Haskins (2-40), WR Kearis Jackson (1-29), WR Reggie Roberson (1-28)
Punt returners: WR Kyle Philips (1-17), Mason Kinsey (no return), CB Eric Garror (2-26)
Kickers: It wasn’t a good day overall for the kickers. While they made their PATs, Shudak’s field goal make from 41 yards barely made it through, and Wolff missed wide on his 48-yard attempt. There’s still two preseason games left but it might be time to consider bringing in a veteran to this competition.
Punters: P Ryan Stonehouse is still an absolute unit. That is all.
Injuries
RB Jonathan Ward (knee)
TE Thomas Odukoya (undisclosed)
DL Shakel Brown (ankle) – Brown was ruled out almost immediately after being carted off the field.
WR Colton Dowell (undisclosed)
TE Kevin Rader (undisclosed)
Titans highlights
.@malikwillis takes it himself for the first score of the game!
📺: Watch #TENvsCHI on @WKRN/ @nflnetwork/ NFL+ pic.twitter.com/pJQJvrmmjR
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) August 12, 2023
TITANS BALL!@luke_gifford lands on the muffed punt
📺: Watch #TENvsCHI on @WKRN/ @nflnetwork/ NFL+ pic.twitter.com/dMXKO2MO7l
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) August 12, 2023
We'll take that back!
📺: Watch #TENvsCHI on @WKRN/ @nflnetwork/ NFL+ pic.twitter.com/dqSlzmwwcu
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) August 12, 2023
Up & Over for 6️⃣
📺: Watch #TENvsCHI on @WKRN/ @nflnetwork/ NFL+ pic.twitter.com/hYfkSnnpFi
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) August 12, 2023
