CHICAGO – Caleb Williams had a difficult debut for Chicago, but was saved by his defense: Tyrique Stevenson returned an interception 43 yards and scored the decisive touchdown that gave the Bears a 24-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
The Bears, who are eyeing a playoff spot after a 10-24 record over the past two seasons, trailed 17-0 in the first half.
From then on, they eliminated the Titans and spoiled Tennessee coach Brian Callahan’s debut.
Williams, the No. 1 overall pick, completed 14 of 29 passes for 93 yards with a 55.7 passer rating. The former Heisman Trophy winner out of Southern California still became the first quarterback drafted first overall to win in his debut since 2002, when David Carr led Houston past Dallas.
The last 15 No. 1 picks had a combined record of 0-14-1 in their first starts, starting with Cincinnati’s Carson Palmer in 2003.
The Bears had just reduced the deficit to 17-16 with a field goal from Cairo Santos when Stevenson put Chicago ahead midway through the fourth quarter.
As DeMarcus Walker was about to sack him, Will Levis hurled the ball in desperation, and Stevenson grabbed it and ran down the sideline unchallenged. A 2-point conversion pass from Williams to D’Andre Swift made it 24-17.
Jaylon Johnson sealed the win with just over a minute left when he intercepted a long pass intended for Tyler Boyd on fourth down at Tennessee’s 40-yard line, giving fans who had spent much of the afternoon booing a reason to cheer.
While Williams struggled, Chicago’s vaunted receiver group was also quiet. DJ Moore caught five passes for 36 yards. Keenan Allen had 29 yards in his Bears debut.
Chicago finished the game with 148 yards of offense and scored its only other touchdown on special teams. Daniel Hardy blocked a punt in the third quarter, Jonathan Owens recovered it and returned it 21 yards, giving the Bears a 17-10 touchdown.
Owens’ performance drew cheers from the crowd and delighted his wife, Simone Biles, who responded to a post on X asking how she was feeling: “I ALMOST HAD A HEART ATTACK.”
Santos reduced the deficit to 17-13 with a 50-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.
The Bears then had a huge opportunity when Darrell Taylor sacked Levis and TJ Edwards recovered the ball at Tennessee’s 31-yard line, but had to settle for another field goal, leaving the game just one point ahead.
Levis was 19 of 32 passing for 127 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions entering his sophomore season. Tony Pollard ran for 82 yards and a TD for Tennessee.
