3 Bears stars of the game after comeback win vs. Titans

The Chicago Bears came into the 2024 season with a lot of hype. That will happen when you go 7-10 and then have one of the best offseasons in franchise history.

Things weren’t pretty in their first half against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, where their offense stumbled and their defense had trouble containing Will Levis and co. Chicago went into the locker room down 17-3 and had a bleak chance to win. However, it was a tale of two halves as they bounced back in the second half, with strong outings on defense and special teams, to notch a 24-17 victory at Soldier Field.

How did the game go the way of the Bears? Well, it was a great team effort, but these three stars of the game stood out the most:

First Star of the Game: DE Darrell Taylor

Statline: 8 tackles, 2 tackles-for-loss, 2.0 sacks, 2 QB hits, 1 forced fumble

Very few players had the same impact on the game that defensive end Darell Taylor had for the Bears on defense. Just a couple of weeks after being traded to Chicago from the Seattle Seahawks, Taylor was as good at disrupting the quarterback. With two sacks and two tackles for loss, Taylor was in Tennessee's backfield all day. With Will Levis trying to make plays for his offense, Taylor got in there and made the afternoon difficult on the second-year quarterback.

Taylor's biggest play came with a crucial strip sack on Levis, which was recovered by linebacker T.J. Edwards. It led to a Cairo Santos field goal that cut Chicago's deficit to 17-16.

At that point in the game, the Bears needed another big play from their defense, and Taylor was there to help provide that for them.

Second Star of the Game: LB T.J. Edwards

Statline: 15 total tackles, 2 tackles-for-loss, 1 fumble recovery

Linebacker T.J. Edwards had a big game against the Titans, which included a game-high 15 total tackles on the afternoon. Edwards also came up big after Taylor's strip-sack on Levis, recovering the fumble and setting Chicago up on Tennessee's 30-yard line. While the offense stalled, it was enough to get a field goal and trim the deficit.

Against both the run game and the passing game, Edwards was there to do his job. Even when the Titans had a completion or big run, he was there to make a tackle to keep it from getting worse. If the pass rush continues to improve while the secondary stays dominant, the linebackers will be able to do their job the right way and that's what we saw from Edwards on Sunday.

Third Star of the Game: Tyrique Stevenson

Statline: 4 total tackles, 2 pass breakups, 1 interception, 1 touchdown

Second-year cornerback Tyrique Stevenson was one of the most impactful players in the entire game as he put the Bears ahead for good in the win. With Tennessee facing third-and-6 from their own 45-yard line, Levis had an ill-advised pass, and Stevenson was there to capitalize on the interception, returning it 43 yards for what was the game-winning touchdown. After a successful two-point conversion, the Bears took a 24-17 lead that they wouldn't relinquish.

Stevenson made a great play on a bad decision by Levis, who chucked the ball up in the air to avoid being sacked. The ball popped in the air and Stevenson made no mistake before running it down the field into the endzone. The awareness of Stevenson allowed him to make this game-breaking play. His team won the football game as a direct result of him giving them the lead. It wasn't over at that point as they needed to hold on but they needed those points.

When the opportunity came for him to help contain the offense of the Titans, he was good at his job. Stevenson, along with the other two stars of the game, stepped up big for the Bears in this win. With a rookie quarterback making his first NFL start, there was a lot of pressure on him to get it done. As Caleb Williams learns the ways of the NFL, the defense might need to pick up some slack, and they did in this one.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 3 Bears stars of the game after comeback win vs. Titans