The Chicago Bears kick off their 2024 NFL season by hosting the Tennessee Titans.
Tennessee holds a 7-6 series lead over the Bears, as these teams haven’t faced off much. The last time these teams met was in 2020 when Tennessee beat Chicago 24-17 in a Week 9 matchup at Nissan Stadium.
This time around, the Bears battle the Titans with home-field advantage, and they’re looking to start their season with a win.
These four matchups will be crucial in determining the outcome of this game.
4 Matchups To Watch in Bears vs. Titans
Jeffery Simmons vs. Bears’ IOL
Defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons has been vocal about how he plans to disrupt the Bears’ game plan on Sunday.
Simmons is a strong player on the defensive line, and with Chicago’s interior offensive line’s lower-level play, this could be a tough matchup for the Bears.
Chicago lost Cody Whitehair and Lucas Patrick this offseason, as Teven Jenkins, Coleman Shelton, and Nate Davis are the assumed starters on the interior this season. While Jenkins brings an elite level of physicality, his injury history is a cause for concern each week, especially this week against Simmons.
Since being drafted in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Simmons has been voted to two Pro Bowls and has been a pillar of the Titans’ defensive line. Last season, he missed the final five games, and he’ll look to start 2024 off on a strong note against a weaker Chicago offensive line.
Montez Sweat vs. JC Latham/Nicholas Petit-Frere
Once he joined the Bears’ defensive front last season, Montez Sweat immediately impacted this team’s ability to cause chaos up front.
Last season, Sweat was traded to Chicago ahead of their Week 9 matchup against the Saints, and in the team’s final nine games, he totaled six sacks, 14 QB hits, 25 tackles, and a forced fumble.
This week, Sweat will be attacking two younger offensive tackles, rookie JC Latham and third-year tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere.
Considering Sweat’s reputation across the league, he can make some of the best offensive tackles look silly, and that’s the game plan going into Week 1 against Latham and Petit-Frere.
Latham was an impressive tackle with Alabama, and he was selected with the No. 7 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Petit-Frere, however, was a third-round draft pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, showing less refinement as he entered the league.
Offensive tackle is a position that oftentimes has a learning curve for younger players, and that learning curve becomes even steeper when facing off against players like Sweat.
While Sweat will likely battle Petit-Frere most of the game, the Bears could try to force mismatches by putting him on Latham a bit more.
Caleb Williams vs. Dennard Wilson
Coming into his rookie season as the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Caleb Williams will be the focal point of every defensive coordinator’s game plan. That’s especially true this Sunday, as it’s Williams’ first-ever NFL start.
The Titans hired Dennard Wilson as their defensive coordinator this offseason, and since this is the first time he’s running his own defense, the Bears don’t have a clear idea of how he will attack their offense.
One thing of note is who Wilson credits as his coaching inspirations. Two names that stuck out were Gregg Williams and Todd Bowles, two coaches known for their aggressive nature and consistent blitzing.
As Wilson faces a rookie quarterback in Week 1, the expectation is that he’ll be throwing lots of blitz packages at Williams to make his first NFL start as chaotic as possible.
While Williams comes into a better position than most No. 1 overall quarterbacks in their rookie season, how he handles Wilson’s defense will be one of the most important matchups to watch in this game.
Jaylon Johnson vs. Calvin Ridley
The fourth and final Titans-Bears matchup to be glued to this weekend is a battle between one of Tennessee’s best offensive players against one of Chicago’s best defenders.
With DeAndre Hopkins trying to play through an MCL tear, it’s unlikely that he’ll be at his usual level. With Hopkins on a slower roll-out to start the 2024 season, top Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson will likely spend most of the day mirroring Tennessee’s offseason addition: Calvin Ridley.
Ridley recorded his second 1,000-yard season in 2023, hauling in eight touchdowns with the Jaguars. Ridley will see his fair share of targets on Sunday.
However, with Ridley facing Johnson, this should make for an entertaining battle.
#Bears All-Pro CB Jaylon Johnson had some harsh words for being left off of the NFL's Top 100 list 😳
(via @dave_bfr) pic.twitter.com/QzHS1a5Jae
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) August 4, 2024
Per PFF, Johnson was one of the top cornerbacks in the league in 2023, ranking first in coverage grade (91.0), passer rating allowed (33.3), and receiving yards allowed on the season (195).
While he was disrespected by the NFL Top 100, Johnson’s play speaks for itself, and the battle between him and Ridley should be one of the top matchups of the weekend.