This weekend, we get to see the revamped Tennessee Titans roster head up to Chicago to take on the Bears as they kickoff their respective NFL seasons. The Titans begin the Brian Callahan era against the Bears and 2024 NFL Draft's first overall pick Caleb Williams.
These two teams will both be looking to bounce back from disappointing seasons that saw both of them selecting top 10 in the NFL draft. A revitalized sense of optimism and hope now sweeps over these franchises heading into their 2024 NFL seasons.
We'll dive deeper into some of the key positional matchups for the upcoming game to see where the Titans have an advantage. These battles will be a huge factor in determining the winner of Sunday's game. These are key spots the Titans need to win in order to find success.
Titans Interior Defensive Line vs. Bears Interior Offensive Line
The Titans defensive line will be a strength for the team in most matchups as long as the top-heavy starting group can stay healthy. Jeffery Simmons is a multi-time Pro Bowler, rookie T'Vondre Sweat has drawn rave reviews in the preseason, and Sebastian Joseph-Day is a capable veteran at this point in his career. This group will match up against one of the weakest starting groups on the Bears roster, their interior offensive line.
Titans fans will recognize the Bears starting right guard, former Titan Nate Davis. Davis performed poorly last season, committing six penalties and allowing 29 pressures in only 11 games. The former third-round pick missed six games last season and has missed time throughout camp this year, prompting comments from his head coach about his starting job security.
Next to Davis are starting center Coleman Shelton and left guard Teven Jenkins. Shelton won the starting job after coming over from the Los Angeles Rams this offseason and seeing his competition, Ryan Bates, miss time this preseason due to injury. The former Ram graded out as a below average center last season (17th in the league) and was even worse in passing situations, per PFF.
Jenkins took a step forward last year and has been one of Chicago's better offensive lineman when healthy over the prior two seasons.
The duo of Simmons and Sweat will spend plenty of time battling the interior of Chicago's defensive line on all three downs. This should be a huge positional advantage, especially in passing situations where all three Bears starters have struggled. Being able to pressure Williams from the interior in his first career start will give the Titans a huge advantage. The rookie took sacks over 21% of the time he was pressured in college last year, per The Ringer.
Titans Interior Offensive Line vs. Bears Interior Defensive Line
Heavy investment has given the Titans a promising group along the interior offensive line. Left guard Peter Skoronski was a first round pick last season and appears to be ascending, right guard Dillon Radunz was a former second round pick at tackle that kicked inside to guard, and center Lloyd Cushenberry was brought in via free agency after grading out as the third best pass blocking center last year.
The Bears starting interior defensive line consists of veteran Andrew Billings and Gervon Dexter Sr. Billings has been a run stuffing nose tackle with only 4.5 sacks throughout his six-year career. Dexter Sr. is a young player that flashed last season in the three-technique role, but only has one career start.
The depth in the Bears interior defensive front is questionable. Zacch Pickens was a second round pick in the 2024 draft, but is dealing with an injury that's caused him to miss time over the past two weeks. Chris Williams was traded for last month and has familiarity with head coach Matt Eberflus, but hasn't played an NFL game since 2022. Former Titan DeMarcus Walker could kick inside from his defensive end spot on passing downs if needed in a pinch.
The Titans revamped interior should have an edge against this group, especially in passing sets. With Callahan's history suggesting a more pass heavy approach, I expect to see the interior hold up and protect quarterback Will Levis. The Titans could also create some solid running lanes against this group, especially if Dexter Sr. hasn't taken a big step from last season.
Titans Linebackers vs. Bears Running Backs
Another position with major turnover for the Titans this offseason is the linebacker spot. Recent trade acquisition Ernest Jones IV was brought in last week and brings huge upside, ranking as a top 10 pass rusher and run defender at the position last year.
Rounding out the expected linebacking rotation are Kenneth Murray Jr. and Jack Gibbens. Murray has a similar skill set to Jones that excels when getting downhill and attacking quarterbacks and running backs. Gibbens was the second leading tackler on the Titans last year and should see regular work in Week 1 as Jones gets up to speed. The former UDFA has graded well in run defense situations and could be a productive two-down player.
The Bears brought in running back D'Andre Swift from the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason via free agency. Swift was productive last season behind an elite offensive line, but had underlaying metrics that raise red flags. The veteran back ranked 48th out of 51 running backs in yards after contact per attempt and 37th in rushing yards over expectation per attempt.
I expect Swift and backfield partners Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson to struggle on the ground against the Titans linebackers. The Titans should have an advantage in the trenches, freeing up gaps for linebackers to get downhill and make plays, an area this group excels at. If this group can hold their own, it can force the Bears offense to be one dimensional and go a long way in determining the outcome of the game.
