4 biggest storylines ahead of Bears vs. Titans in Week 1

It’s gameday eve, everybody! There’s a different air surrounding the Chicago Bears this year, and it’s not hard to see why.

First overall selection Caleb Williams is the Holy Grail among other treasures the Bears acquired this offseason, and suddenly the club’s talent is on par with some of the better teams in football. The NFL is a “prove it” league, so to speak, so the 2024 rendition of the Monsters of the Midway has to show that talent on the field. Their upcoming opening clash with the Tennessee Titans (see what I did there?) will be their first test of many this year.

There are countless storylines riding with the Chicago into this game, from Williams’ preparedness to already be a top-end passer to the defense’s potential to be the NFL’s best this year. Week 1 won’t dictate the team’s bottom line for the rest of the year, but it will be our introduction to an exciting era of Bears football.

Without further ado, let’s dive into the four biggest storylines ahead of Bears vs. Titans in Week 1.

1. How will QB Caleb Williams look in his first start?

Chicago’s prodigal rookie quarterback has dominated headlines this summer, winning over his QB-deprived fanbase with his charming personality and turning heads with awe-inspiring plays in the preseason. Williams will continue to be the main topic of conversation heading into Week 1, as he’s set to finally kick off his Bears career by making his first official NFL start, shouldering the championship aspirations of his rabid fanbase. Williams will be welcomed to the league by the Titans, whose defense features several steady players who could take advantage of the rookie’s inexperience.

There is an avenue for success for Williams and the offense, and the main ingredient will be patience. The unit is sure to hit some turbulence in the early goings of the contest: they have a new offensive coordinator, a rookie taking snaps, and several new additions who haven’t played a full game together. They’ll need to be persistent in working out the kinks early – it’s imperative that offensive coordinator Shane Waldron doesn’t get spooked if Williams throws an interception or if running back D’Andre Swift gets stuffed at the line of scrimmage on consecutive plays. Becoming one-dimensional will only make things harder for Williams, so a stubbornly balanced gameplan should be the plan of attack. Keeping the defense off balance with varied playcalls will allow Williams to make easy reads to open receivers, and not force him to play catch up and make a potential mistake.

It’s Williams’ world and we’re just living in it. We’ll find out just how prepared he is to play under the bright lights this Sunday.

2. How prepared will the team look?

This may seem like an odd question to pose at first glance but allow me to explain. Think back to what happened in the season opener last year. Would you say that Chicago played disciplined football, tackling well and avoiding mental errors? Certainly not: they were embarrassed by the rival Green Bay Packers at home, whiffing on tackles, dropping balls, you name it. So, head coach Matt Eberflus will be challenged to get his guys prepared for this year’s season opener and take advantage of a winnable matchup against Tennessee.

We’ve already had early indicators that the team has turned over a new leaf in that front. It’s hard to discern meaning in preseason games, since they’re mostly used to work out backups and judge their viability for an NFL roster, but fundamentals is something that is never a fluke. The backups’ solid play allowed the club to go undefeated in those games, and that can only be a testament to the habits Eberflus and the assistant coaches instilled in their squad.

That refined play was seen in the starters, of course, but we haven’t had a chance to see it for a full game. The Bears should, by all accounts, beat a less talented Titans team. Sloppy play could lead to an unthinkable upset, and Eberflus will do all he can to avoid that this weekend.

3. Will the defense be dominant?

The answer to this question should be yes, and anyone who followed the Bears from the 2023 midseason to now should know that as a certainty. They were nothing short of spectacular in the waning games of last season, playing as a complete unit to suffocate opponents. They had something to show for it as well, as they tied the 49ers for most interceptions last year at 22 apiece. All signs point to their momentum carrying over to 2024: the unit was largely unchanged, the defense’s leaders were given new contracts for their contributions, and the young guys had another offseason to build their confidence.

Still, there’s a chance we’ve fallen into the same trap we did last year around this time. Expectations were stratospheric for the defenders last season, only for them to trip over themselves in their clumsy play, not being able to right themselves until the majority of the season was thrown away. There’s plenty of reason for optimism, however, along with all the virtues mentioned before, they’re also squaring off with what seems to be an average Titans offense, who may be without their starting wide receiver. DeAndre Hopkins is officially questionable heading into tomorrow, with former Titan, Taylor Lewan, claiming that he won’t play at all.

Factor in an unproven Will Levis calling shots at QB, and the Bears could announce themselves to the entire NFL in Week 1.

4. Can the Bears’ newcomers make an immediate impact?

Keenan Allen. Rome Odunze. D’Andre Swift. That’s only a few of the difference-makers Chicago brought in this offseason. If those heavy swings mean anything, it means general manager Ryan Poles is ready to win now. The chips are pushed in, and only time will tell if the daring gamble will pay off. Their looming game against the Titans provides a great opportunity for those guys to work themselves into the offense and shake off the rest of the rust that preseason didn’t manage to scrub off.

Swift and Allen are two players that I’m keeping an eye on. Swift is set to be Williams’ safety net, both in his traditional role as a running back and as a receiver out of the backfield. I speculated that outside runs and plays will be the offense’s calling card early, stretching the defense and giving him a chance to make defenders miss. Allen, meanwhile, has a less defined role in the offense, as we didn’t see much of him in the exhibition games. He was listed as questionable ahead of tomorrow’s game, but Eberflus had clarified that the “outlook is good” in reference to his availability. He provides a big target for Williams to rely on, and I expect him to put up some numbers.

It’ll take some time for the whole unit to coalesce into a refined product, but perhaps they can pleasantly surprise by taking it to the Titans’ defense tomorrow afternoon.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears vs. Titans: 4 biggest storylines in Week 1