Bears vs. Titans Prediction: Bears look to start season off fast |
A new era of Chicago Bears football is on the Horizon as the Caleb Williams Era is set to get underway on Sunday.
It will be in front of the home fans at Soldier Field, where the Bears will open their 2024 season against the Tennessee Titans. What has been one of the most exciting offseasons in recent memory for this team, Chicago enters this season with arguably more hype than anyone, especially when you look at how they performed during the preseason. Granted, that is the preseason, and none of those games matter, but you could see a different mindset in the Bears during the preseason as they treated those games as if they were a regular season. Now that things are for real, Chicago is looking to keep that momentum rolling. They aim to send a message to the rest of the NFL this week. A win this week will go a long way in setting the tone for the Bears season, as they have lofty goals for the 2024 season.
How to watch
DATE/TIME: Sunday, Sept. 8, Noon (CT)
TELEVISION: FOX
STREAMING: NFL+ (Chicago area only), Game Pass International (outside the U.S., Canada and China)
BROADCASTERS: Adam Amin (play-by-play), Mark Sanchez (analyst), Kristina Pink (sideline)
Here are some things to look at for the game:
Which new-look offense steps up?
No one will argue that the Bears had one of the busiest offseasons, especially when retooling their offense. Not only did they draft Williams No. 1 overall to pair him with DJ Moore and Cole Kmet, but the Bears also went out and drafted Rome Odunze in round one. Pair that with trading for Keenan Allen and landing D'Andre Swift in free agency, and the Bears have as much firepower as anyone on offense this season.
However, you could argue that Tennessee isn't far behind them regarding the moves they made this offseason, as they, too, did a great job retooling this offense. With Derrick Henry no longer with the Titans, everyone knew this team would undergo a dramatic shift to help Will Levis, and they did that by focusing on the passing game.
Tony Pollard will replace Henry in the backfield, as he will give the Titans an excellent duel threat. You also have DeAndre Hopkins set to lead the WR room, with guys like Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd coming in through free agency. That alone makes this offense look dramatically different from what they looked like last season.
With so many new faces on the field this weekend, it will all come down to which team has more chemistry at this point in the season. The Bears have already shown a lot of their chemistry, and they hope that can help them set the tone this weekend.
Injury concerns
Although there hasn't been any significant injury news this week, fans are starting to get concerned with the Bears' injury list, as several big names are on it. That includes star pass rusher Montez Sweat, who has been dealing with injuries this week, which have limited him in practice.
While his injury doesn't seem serious enough that he will miss games, any time your best players are injured heading into the season opener, it brings a sense of concern. Sweat is the main reason this defense turned into one of the best defenses in the league last season, and if he can't get to the QB, this defense could be exposed. That can't happen if they want to win this game, as it will be up to the defense to make life easier for Williams and the offense.
Sweat isn't the only big-name defensive player to land on the injured list as DeMarcus Walker has also found himself on the list. Again, he isn't expected to miss the game on Sunday, but if you are entering week one with some nagging injuries, it will cause some concerns for the rest of the way.
Home cooking
When this team is good, Soldier Field is one of the most challenging places to play in the NFL, as Chicago Bears fans love this team. Given their struggles the past few seasons, the home atmosphere has been lacking, although it did start to pick up again toward the end of last season.
With Williams at quarterback and the team they have assembled, the excitement is back in the Windy City. Soldier Field could once again become one of the more challenging places to play this season. It's hard enough for a seasoned veteran to deal with this place, but for a young quarterback like Levis, it will test him.
The more wins this team can bank this season, the better this atmosphere will become. This team's first-half schedule has the potential for a lot of wins. This is what football is all about, and the Bears fans want to prove they are still some of the best fans in the game.
Prediction time
This is one of those games where the line has been shrinking every week. What started as the Bears being six-point favorites is now down to four, which is a bit puzzling. From a roster side of things, Chicago has a far superior roster, and they should be the favorites in this game.
Personally, the shrinking line is more about Williams being a rookie quarterback starting his first NFL game, as no one knows how he will perform the first time out. There will be some growing pains, as to be expected, but Williams is a much better quarterback than Levis, which he should prove this Sunday. This game will be closer than many people expect it to be, but look for the Bears to start on the right foot with a 24-18 season-opening win.
Mad Minute ⏰
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) September 6, 2024
Will Levis and the @Titans vs Caleb Williams and the @ChicagoBears #TENvsCHI pic.twitter.com/eZ9I6XeGsX
