LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Chicago Bears’ defensive call against quarterback Will Levis on third-and-6 on the Tennessee Titans’ 48 worked as planned for their personnel.
Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds blitzed up the middle but was picked up by running back Tyjae Spears. Defensive end Montez Sweat was doubled-teamed by right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere and right guard Dillon Radunz, which resulted in single blocks on the other side.
For defensive end Darrell Taylor, that meant a one-on-one rush against rookie left tackle JC Latham, the No. 7 pick in the NFL Draft. With speed and a quick swipe of Latham’s left arm, Taylor was in the backfield almost immediately.
The result was a sack and a strip by Taylor and then a fumble recovery by linebacker T.J. Edwards. It was the first of three takeaways the Bears defense produced in the fourth quarter.
“That changed a lot of momentum for us, just creating takeaways,” Taylor said. “Just to give the ball to our offense and give them another opportunity to get into the end zone. That was big for us. And I’m excited that I could do that and help the team out.”
Taylor was one of the Bears’ best players in the 24-17 win against the Titans. He also had a sack of Levis on the first play of the second quarter. His production and fit in the Bears defense leads my five takeaways.
1. It’s only one game, but the trade for Taylor looks like another hit for general manager Ryan Poles, especially because it only cost the team a sixth-round pick.
Taylor definitely feels that way, too.
“Man, it’s exciting,” Taylor said. “(The Seattle Seahawks) didn’t see a spot for me. But the Chicago Bears saw a spot for me on their team. So I’m excited to be here, make an impact and do whatever I can to help this team win each and every week.”
Taylor, a second-round pick by the Seahawks in 2020, made two sacks and seven tackles in 38 snaps against the Titans. When he first took the field on third down, defensive end DeMarcus Walker moved inside in place of nose Andrew Billings. Sweat and three-technique tackle Gervon Dexter made up the rest of the line. That’s the Bears’ best pass-rushing foursome.
“I just played within the scheme of the defense,” Taylor said. “I didn’t do anything extra. I just did what they told me to do. And it all worked out, being on point and rushing with the guys beside me. So that’s all that took.”
Defense is ballin’ 😤
📺: #TENvsCHI on FOX pic.twitter.com/fHOZu5ybab
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 8, 2024
2. The Bears’ rotation at right guard with Nate Davis and Ryan Bates needs to end sooner than later.
Davis started, but the official snap counts revealed that Bates (38 snaps) doubled the playing time of Davis (18). It’s a rotation that feels like a partial benching.
“We’re gonna look at it this week and we’ll see where it is,” coach Matt Eberflus said when asked about the rotating. “Both guys have played guard a long time and both are proficient at the job. We’ll see where it goes this week.”
Rotating them felt like a dangerous game to play in quarterback Caleb Williams’ first career start and especially against defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, one of the best at his position in the NFL, and also with 6-foot-4, 366-pound rookie T’Vondre Sweat mixed in.
The Bears’ preference certainly seems to be Bates over Davis. The Bears tried challenging Davis throughout camp, including Eberflus’ messaging in the media. But Bates missed the end of training camp with a shoulder problem.
3. If we’re all saying that Williams had a bad debut, then the same should be said about offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s game plan and play calling in his Bears debut.
To be fair, the Titans did make for a challenging opener. It’s Week 1, and there wasn’t real tape on defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson’s scheme. He was the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive backs coach last season after two years with the Philadelphia Eagles. Some projection was required.
But Waldron is also supposed to be better and more experienced than former Bears coordinator Luke Getsy.
Waldron’s use of the tight ends stood out as the Bears leaned into 11 personnel (one back, one tight end, three receivers).
Cole Kmet was on the field for 27 of the Bears’ 56 snaps — a significant reduction for a player who was on the field for 77, 94 and 83 percent of the team’s plays over the last three seasons. Gerald Everett played 34 snaps.
Everett and Kmet started the game together with the Bears in 12 personnel: a 6-yard run by running back D’Andre Swift. Kmet made one catch for 4 yards, while Everett made a catch for a 1-yard loss on third-and-29 from the Titans’ 44 in the third quarter.
4. The conversation around Williams’ debut would be different if he hit two passes to receiver Keenan Allen against the Titans.
The first miss came on third-and-3 from Tennessee’s 41 in the first quarter. Allen came open down the left sideline and Williams sailed his throw past him.
That’s on Williams.
The second miss came on second-and-goal from the Titans’ 6 in the final minute of the second quarter. Williams’ throw went through the hands of Allen, whose route took him down the goal line toward the pylon.
That’s on Allen.
After the game, Williams mentioned three misses: Swift in the flat, DJ Moore on an in route on the back side and Carter deep down the left sideline after he recognized that the Titans were in Cover 0.
Eberflus didn’t say much about Williams on Monday, only that his footwork was off at times but that his vision was good overall. Or as Williams said, “Just missed and misfired and placing the ball where I wanted to.”
5. The Bears’ decision to sign linebacker T.J. Edwards continues to be one of the team’s most underrated moves under Poles.
From stuffing runs to making tackles in the flat, Edwards was all over the field, finishing with a team-best 15 tackles, including two for loss and 10 solo stops. He also recovered the fumble by Levis that Taylor forced.
Edwards picked up where he left off last season. He led the Bears with 155 tackles, four fewer than his career high in 2022 for the Philadelphia Eagles. He’s been a perfect fit as the weakside linebacker in Eberflus’ defense.
“You want to be around the ball as a linebacker,” Edwards said after the win against the Titans. “I think I’ll focus on more of the stuff that I could have done better.
(Top photo of Darrell Taylor, 52: Mike Dinovo / USA Today)
