3 and Out: Chicago Bears come back to beat Tennessee Titans 24-17 in season-opener

CHICAGO – The Bears defense created three turnovers in the fourth quarter to come back against the Tennessee Titans and win its season-opener 24-17 at Soldier Field. Here’s what you need to know.

Three moments that mattered

1. Johnson seals win: Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson secured the Bears’ win with his first interception of the season. With the Titans facing fourth-and-10 from their own 40 down 24-17 with 1:15 left in the game, Titans quarterback Will Levis tried to gain a first down. But Johnson picked off the pass to earn the win.

2. Stevenson takes it home: Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and the Bears defense stepped up when it mattered the most. Stevenson gave the Bears their first lead of the game in the fourth quarter after he intercepted Levis and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown. Levis threw away the ball as he was being tackled before Stevenson caught the pass and returned it for the go-ahead score.

3. Gaining hope: The Bears got back into Sunday’s game midway through the third quarter after forcing a Titans three-and-out. Daniel Hardy blocked a punt and Jonathan Owens returned it 18 yards for a touchdown to make it a 17-10 Tennessee lead with 9:07 left in the third quarter.

Three things that worked

1. Turning TO’s into points: The Bears made the most of their turnovers in order to win their opener. First Bears kicker Cairo Santos knocked in a field goal with 9:52 left in the game to make it a 17-16 Titans lead after defensive end Darrell Taylor forced a fumble and T.J. Edwards recovered it. The second came off Stevenson’s interception returned for a touchdown.

2. Second-half defense: After allowing the Titans to score 17 points in the first half, the Bears defense shut out Tennessee in the second half. The unit forced three three-and-outs in the second quarter and limited the Titans to 65 total yards in the second half.

3. Santos still consistent: Santos picked up where he left off last season after making 92.1% of his kicks, the second-highest rate in his career. Santos broke up the shutout in the second quarter when he made a 24-yard field. He added a 50-yard field goal in the third quarter and then a 48-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

Three things that didn’t

1. Sluggish offensive start: A new era of the Bears offense looked like much of the same. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams finished with 53 passing yards in the first half while the rushing attack only had 16 yards. The Bears ran 24 plays in the first half compared to the Titans’ 37 and two of their drives lasted less than four plays. Williams ended the game with 93 passing yards while the Bears had 84 rushing yards.

2. Oh no, Velus: Bears general manager Ryan Poles put his faith in Velus Jones Jr. when he decided to keep the 2022 third round pick for his playmaking ability. But Jones cost his team points when he muffed a kickoff late in the first quarter. The Titans recovered on Chicago’s 23 yard line and scored off a 40-yard field goal early in the second quarter.

3. Stopping the run: A year after allowing the fewest amount of rushing yards in the NFL, the Bears allowed 140 rushing yards to the Titans on Sunday. They allowed fewer than 140 yards on all but two games last season. Tony Pollard led the Titans with 82 rushing yards and a touchdown.

What’s next?

The Bears travel to Houston next Sunday to take on the Texans on Sunday night football at 7:20 p.m.