3 Keys to a Bears Victory Over the Titans in Week 1

1. Put Pressure on Will Levis

Although this key is basic, the Bears struggled to pressure opposing quarterbacks in the first half of last season. After acquiring Montez Sweat at the trade deadline, their ability to pressure opposing quarterbacks improved, but they still finished the season ranked 29th in pressure rate, according to PFF.

The Bears' improved defensive line needs to increase their pressure rate from last season. One way to achieve this is by blitzing more often. This strategy was emphasized by the Bears during the preseason.

In 2023, according to PFF, 21.5% of pressures on Levis resulted in a sack. This, combined with a poor offensive line, led to Levis taking 28 sacks in nine games. Comparatively, Justin Fields, who also took many unnecessary sacks, had a 19.3% pressure-to-sack rate over 13 games, resulting in 43 sacks. The fact that Levis's pressure-to-sack percentage was higher than Fields' bodes well for the Bears.

Although the Titans appear to have an improved offensive line entering Week 1, it may take some time to gel. If it does, Levis showed last season that he is prone to taking sacks when pressured. If that happens on Sunday, things could get ugly fast for the Titans' offense.