The first full day of NFL football in 2024 is finally here, and the Tennessee Titans take on the Chicago Bears in Week 1 action.
Here’s everything you need to know about the game today.
Tennessee Titans at Chicago Bears
- Start time: Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, 1 p.m. ET
- Channel: Fox
- Live stream options: Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, FOX NOW
- Radio Stations: 104.5 The Zone, WBBM Newsradio 780 AM & 105.9 FM
- Starting QBs: Will Levis, Caleb Williams
- Betting lines:
- Spread: CHI -4
- Total: 43
- Moneyline: CHI -205, TEN +170
Tennessee got an early look at 2023 second-round pick Will Levis after he replaced veteran Ryan Tannehill midway through the season. However, the front office and coaching regime has doubled down on the second-year QB in 2024, ready to run it back.
Unlike 2023, though, when the plan was to start Tannehill and utilize RB Derrick Henry in the last year of his Titans career, Tennessee did not reasonably consider building around Levis. However, under rookie head coach Brian Callahan, the new staff had to bring in quite a few pieces to set Levis up to succeed this season.
The Titans signed Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd to bolster the WR group while also signing Tony Pollard to take over as the RB1. Not only will Pollard provide a strong rushing presence, but he will also allow Levis to target a consistent set of hands out of the backfield. Combined with consistent investment into the offensive and defensive lines, Tennessee has set Levis up nicely. Will he rise to the occasion?
While there was already a new QB in Tennessee’s building last season, the Bears drafted their new franchise centerpiece, quarterback Caleb Williams, with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Williams wasn’t the only talent injected into the Bears’ offense this offseason. They also signed RB D’Andre Swift in free agency, traded for WR Keenan Allen, and drafted WR Rome Odunze with the ninth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Combined with DJ Moore, who was acquired in the trade with Carolina that let the Bears draft Williams, Chicago has set the rookie QB up for success from the jump.
With vast improvement on the defensive side over the past couple of seasons, if Williams can adjust to the pace and play of the NFL regular season, the Bears could be looking at a Texans-esque turnaround this season.
While it’s not fair to put these expectations on Williams out of the gate, thinking of the possibility of the Bears being a playoff-relevant franchise again is enticing and further strengthens a competitive NFC North.