Week 1 // Bears (0-0) vs Titans (0-0)

[Sevenfeet]

<Tap tap>

Is this on? Haven't been here since 2017.

[HisRoyalSweetness]

Tennessee Titans vs. Chicago Bears | 2024 Week 1 Game Preview



And yes, the narrator does get Gordon and Stevenson's positions round the wrong way. Not good for an NFL video. Still a decent summary of both teams to get folk hyped for Sunday.

[Bearfacts]

I'm gonna believe that over the course of the season they'll find some ways to use him on offense as long as he shows he can execute well enough to be trusted. He won't be taking the punts. Carter will.

Strangely that doesn't fill me with a whole lot of confidence. I doubt Carter would have made the roster if Webster hadn't got hurt. Carter did not impress as a punt returner in preseason whereas Webster actually did quite well with that. Webster also looked decent as a receiver.

I don't recall Nsimba Webster returning punts but then maybe I missed that. I would've preferred Pettis. As for Velus Jones I believe he'll pull off a couple of big plays much like he did in preseason and all will be forgiven......well mostly forgiven.

[crueltyabc]

There's no good reason why the Bears shouldn't win this game decisively. The Titans are in the middle of a chaotic rebuild and the Bears match up well in basically every spot. The Bears offense will look good during the scripted period, then rely on big plays for the rest of the scores.

Bears 30
Titans 17

[Moriarty]

<Tap tap>

Is this on? Haven't been here since 2017.

Trubisky & Glennon broke you, eh?

Probably a good thing you sat out the Fields era.

[Rusty Trombagent]

<Tap tap>

Is this on? Haven't been here since 2017.

Trubisky & Glennon broke you, eh?

Probably a good thing you sat out the Fields era.

[HisRoyalSweetness]

Strangely that doesn't fill me with a whole lot of confidence. I doubt Carter would have made the roster if Webster hadn't got hurt. Carter did not impress as a punt returner in preseason whereas Webster actually did quite well with that. Webster also looked decent as a receiver.

I don't recall Nsimba Webster returning punts but then maybe I missed that. I would've preferred Pettis.

Bears punt returners in preseason:

Webster
Bengals: 2 returns for 27 yards
Average: 13.5 ypr

Stroman
Bills 1 return for 16 yards
Chiefs: 1 return for 5 yards
Average: 10.5 ypr

Blackwell
Bills: 2 returns for 20 yards
Bengals: 1 return for 7 yards
Average: 9.0 ypr

Carter
Texans: 1 return for 9 yards
Chiefs: 2 returns for 16 yards plus one he let hit the ground and then allowed himself to get pushed into which was recovered by the Chiefs
Average: 8.3 ypr

Pettis
Texans: 1 return for 0 yards (fair catch) plus one muffed punt recovered by the Texans
Bengals: 1 return for -3 yards
Average: -1.5 ypr

Offensive stats:
Pettis: 5 catches on 8 targets for 98 yards (19.6 ypc) and 2 TDs
Webster: 5 catches on 7 targets for 89 yards (17.8 ypc) plus 1 run for 9 yards
Carter: 1 catch on 2 targets for 6 yards (6.0 ypc)

Carter and Pettis both had major blunders on punt returns. Preseason or not that doesn't inspire confidence.

Webster led all the punt returners in average yards (he had a 17 yarder and a 10 yarder so both decent) although all had a very small sample size. Webster was also much more productive as a receiver than Carter, which is why I believe he would have taken that roster spot if he hadn't got hurt in that last preseason game.

Pettis offered nothing as a punt returner and hasn't really done throughout his career with a 6.6 yard average. He was brought in because he was supposedly reliable at fielding them, but he muffed one last season and then another in preseason. There has to be a better option.

[Moriarty]

Nice compilation.


It's possible Webster might have won.
However, 1 botch in the preseason notwithstanding, Carter has been doing this for a long time - 6 years and 132 returns. I'm reasonably confident in what he can do as a returner.
Webster would have had to win out on contribution as WR5, which neither he or Carter have much of a past resume for.

[HisRoyalSweetness]

Carter's fumbled 17 times in his 6 year career, although I don't know how many of those came on punt returns. He's touched the ball 124 times on offense, returned 132 punts and 118 KOs. Ball security has been an issue.

Jones has fumbled 3 times in 71 total touches (28 on offense, 5 punt returns and 38 KO returns). That's 1 fumble for every 23.7 touches and we've roasted him for it.

Carter's had 1 fumble every 22 touches.

[HisRoyalSweetness]

Today's pressers:

[Heinz D.]

<Tap tap>

Is this on? Haven't been here since 2017.

[Sevenfeet]

<Tap tap>

Is this on? Haven't been here since 2017.

Trubisky & Glennon broke you, eh?

Probably a good thing you sat out the Fields era.

Hah. No, just a Titans fan in Nashville. We don’t play you guys often.


Honestly we in Nashville don’t know what to make of this game. It would have been fine to consider this a rebuild year(s). Consider we have a new coach and staff, GM in his second season, QB in his second season, and much of the team different than last year with Derrick Henry traded. And most of our problematic 2021 and 2022 draft classes are gone.

And yet our newish GM managed to over perform by all measures in free agency. So we have some decent talent, and we’re kinda like Chicago from a year or two ago. We have decent matchups but not for JC Latham. So we’ll see. Rookie QBs are always a wild card and any defensive coordinator worth his salt will want to exploit that.

Those of us in Music City would just be happy with competitive football and maybe a .500 season. What will happen? Who knows. But it should be fun watching.

And we miss Kevin Byard. Top shelf player and an even better human being.

[alexwilkins]

Carter's fumbled 17 times in his 6 year career, although I don't know how many of those came on punt returns. He's touched the ball 124 times on offense, returned 132 punts and 118 KOs. Ball security has been an issue.

Jones has fumbled 3 times in 71 total touches (28 on offense, 5 punt returns and 38 KO returns). That's 1 fumble for every 23.7 touches and we've roasted him for it.

Carter's had 1 fumble every 22 touches.

I’m a big “they don’t ask how, they ask how many” guy, but Velus is something else. He’s a Bear, so of course I want him to succeed, but this…

This is one of the MAIN REASONS he was drafted as high as he was, and it looks like he’d never even tried before.

[HisRoyalSweetness]

Here's the first injury report of the season:

Limited in Practice

• Keenan Allen (Heel)

• Kiran Amegadjie (Quad)

• Ryan Bates (Shoulder)

• Roschon Johnson (Toe)

• Zacch Pickens (Groin)

• Montez Sweat (Toe)

[mmmc_35]

Bears 27
Titans 13

I think the Bears defense plays really well and puts the offense in easy positions

[Bearfacts]

I don't recall Nsimba Webster returning punts but then maybe I missed that. I would've preferred Pettis.

Bears punt returners in preseason:

Webster
Bengals: 2 returns for 27 yards
Average: 13.5 ypr

Stroman
Bills 1 return for 16 yards
Chiefs: 1 return for 5 yards
Average: 10.5 ypr

Blackwell
Bills: 2 returns for 20 yards
Bengals: 1 return for 7 yards
Average: 9.0 ypr

Carter
Texans: 1 return for 9 yards
Chiefs: 2 returns for 16 yards plus one he let hit the ground and then allowed himself to get pushed into which was recovered by the Chiefs
Average: 8.3 ypr

Pettis
Texans: 1 return for 0 yards (fair catch) plus one muffed punt recovered by the Texans
Bengals: 1 return for -3 yards
Average: -1.5 ypr

Offensive stats:
Pettis: 5 catches on 8 targets for 98 yards (19.6 ypc) and 2 TDs
Webster: 5 catches on 7 targets for 89 yards (17.8 ypc) plus 1 run for 9 yards
Carter: 1 catch on 2 targets for 6 yards (6.0 ypc)

Carter and Pettis both had major blunders on punt returns. Preseason or not that doesn't inspire confidence.

Webster led all the punt returners in average yards (he had a 17 yarder and a 10 yarder so both decent) although all had a very small sample size. Webster was also much more productive as a receiver than Carter, which is why I believe he would have taken that roster spot if he hadn't got hurt in that last preseason game.

Pettis offered nothing as a punt returner and hasn't really done throughout his career with a 6.6 yard average. He was brought in because he was supposedly reliable at fielding them, but he muffed one last season and then another in preseason. There has to be a better option.

Thanks. I wasn't able to watch all of the games beginning to end so I definitely missed what Webster did. He's gotten some positive comments from the coaches before but never seems to quite be able to make the roster.

[thunderspirit]

Bears 23
TEN 17

[dplank]

[HurricaneBear]

I didn't realize the Titans have a first time head coach and play caller paired with a young QB. Taking the old Bears playbook for QB development I see. Bold strategy.

[Rusty Trombagent]

Will Levis has one good game last year where he just kept chucking it up to Deandre Hopkins, and then after that he was straight hot garbage for the rest of the season.

I'm hoping this is the end of the Bears making garbage QB's look like world beaters.

[HisRoyalSweetness]

Time for a bit of hype...

[Heinz D.]

Huh.

There are five teams with better WR groups than the Bears? Can't say I was aware of that. Thanks, ESPN!

[Heinz D.]

Honestly we in Nashville don’t know what to make of this game. It would have been fine to consider this a rebuild year(s). Consider we have a new coach and staff, GM in his second season, QB in his second season, and much of the team different than last year with Derrick Henry traded. And most of our problematic 2021 and 2022 draft classes are gone.

Of course, the football media, with its sound bite oversimplification mentality, is boiling everything down to the Titans losing Henry...but, let's face it, he's already showing signs of wearing down. Still, the Titans are obviously at a crossroads.

Do you expect a .500 team? Or is that optimistic? Do you think Levis will work out?

[Rusty Trombagent]

Huh.

There are five teams with better WR groups than the Bears? Can't say I was aware of that. Thanks, ESPN!

There's actually a handful of really good wr groups in the NFL right now, I dont have a problem with the Bears being rated 6th at all. There's a legit argument for Niners, Eagles, Dolphins, Texans, Vikes, Bengals, and Seahawks.

Keenan is old, coming off an injury. Rome has never played a snap in the NFL. It's 100% fair for non-meatballs to rank us 6th.

[Moriarty]

Minimal change on the injury front:




Bates better, Walker drops in

[Bearfacts]

We should be reasonably healthy and far better prepared for this opener......we hope.

[wulfy]

Beloved 24
Titan 17

> Caleb to Kmet from 9 yards
> Swift 22 yard scamper
> Carlos Santos from 42
> Caleb to Keenan from 29

[Heinz D.]

There's actually a handful of really good wr groups in the NFL right now, I dont have a problem with the Bears being rated 6th at all. There's a legit argument for Niners, Eagles, Dolphins, Texans, Vikes, Bengals, and Seahawks.

Keenan is old, coming off an injury. Rome has never played a snap in the NFL. It's 100% fair for non-meatballs to rank us 6th.

If the Bears aren't the best (which they are)...then you have to put them in the top three. And Allen had a sensational season last year.

[HisRoyalSweetness]

I hope the Bears secondary has been watching this...

[G08]

Here's a wonderfully fun statistic:

Since 2002, quarterbacks drafted No. 1 overall making their first career start are 0-14-1.