Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams squares off against sophomore Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis. Which quarterback will have more mayo on their pigskin as the clock expires? New Bears safety Kevin Byard III squares off against his former team in the home opener at Soldier Field. Which of the three big-name wide receivers will lead Chicago in yards, catches, and touchdowns? Will the Bears’ running backs split the workload? Who catches Caleb’s first touchdown pass?
Safety’s 2nd Stop Since Leaving Titans
Starting safety Kevin Byard III (KB3) plays his first game as a Chicago Bear since leaving the Philadelphia Eagles. Last year, in a rare mid-season trade, KB3 was traded from the Tennessee Titans to the Eagles after week six. He performed well for both clubs, amassing 122 combined tackles, one interception, and three passes defended between the two franchises. On March 10, 2024, as an NFL free agent, KB3 agreed to terms on a two-year contract with the Chicago Bears worth $15,000,000, including a $3,000,000 signing bonus, $7,390,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $7,500,000.
Will KB3’s knowledge of Will Levis help him get his first interception as a member of the Bears’ vaunted defense? As an absolute tackle machine, KB3 excels in stopping the run. He has to be glad he won’t have to tackle former teammate Derrick Henry during this game, as the bruising runner now plays for the Baltimore Ravens. Byard is also familiar with Titans running back Tyjae Spears’ running style. The two will be reacquainted on the gridiron in hard-hitting fashion, along with new Titans running back Tony Pollard.
Caleb Will Target Which Bears WR?
The Bears’ faithful will want to see Caleb Williams’ cannon early. This means one or both of the Bears’ speedy wide receivers, D.J. Moore and rookie Rome Odunze, will see some shots downfield in the first half. However, how many of those shots will connect? Short to intermediate passes from the rookie quarterback are easier to predict. That speaks more to the strengths of wide receiver Keenan Allen lining up in the slot and running back D’Andre Swift out of the backfield on quick routes and screen passes.
Keep an eye on Keenan Allen’s foot (or cleat) issue heading into the game, but if he suits up and starts for the Bears, he is the candidate to lead the Bears in receptions and is a good bet for a touchdown catch. D.J. Moore is a known commodity by the Bears coaching staff and has a history of being a “gamer”- making him a quality bet for leading the team in receiving yards in the opening contest, despite a lack of preseason reps. Moore is also a solid bet to have a long touchdown in this one.
Rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze has seemingly developed a good rapport with Caleb Williams throughout camp. The relationship benefited from playing against each other in the same conference during college. It’s usually a wise idea to get the “rookie yips” out of the way early in the game. So, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Bears dialed up their first pass play to be a rookie-to-rookie connection. The fans would love it, plus the connection would do wonders for their confidence. Odunze is a good bet to catch Caleb Williams’ first pass in an NFL regular season game.
First Touchdown Pass to an RB?
It is unknown how even or uneven the backfield reps will be for the Bears’ trio of quality running backs Khalil Herbert, Roschon Johnson, and D’Andre Swift. Swift’s services cost Chicago the most money, widely referred to as the worst RB contract in the NFL for 2024. That could lead to work early in the season if there is pressure from ownership and the front office to get him on the field. However, Swift has an injury history that the coaching staff will keep in mind, likely monitoring his reps throughout the season.
You can bet that all three backs will see snaps, but the game flow will likely dictate which one has the most. How many two-running back formations will the Bears run? Will Swift line up in the slot in any of those formations? The Tennessee Titans will try to get after the Bears’ rookie quarterback early. They’ll bring blitzes from the secondary and run stunts on the defensive line with team captain defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. If the Bears catch the Titans in one of these scenarios with the right screen pass called, it’s going to be a house call. Khalil Herbert catches Caleb Williams’ first touchdown pass in the NFL.
Final Thoughts
It’s almost here. We are almost back to Bears’ football. With so many storylines leading up to this week-one matchup at Soldier Field, there will be even more after it’s over. However the final box scores end up for the Bears, and however all of your prop bets land – one thing is certain: the new Chicago Bears era will officially be entered into the statistic books. How they happen and who those statistics belong to is why we will all be tuning in. Game on.
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