There were plenty of eyes on the highly-anticipated NFL debut of Caleb Williams ($5,900, 7.18 FPTS) this afternoon.
Previous quarterbacks selected with the No. 1 pick are just 5-21 on the moneyline when debuting in Week 1. David Carr was the last quarterback selected first overall to win their debut matchup in back in 2002.
While there will plenty to improve on from Williams and the Bears as a whole, he did enough to break this streak as Chicago got their season off on the right foot with a 24-17 victory over the Titans.
Caleb Williams Struggles in Bears Opening Victory
The Titans entered the matchup with low expectations on the year, holding +425 odds to make the playoffs on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Tennessee showed some signs of life in this matchup scoring first on a 28-yard rush from Tony Pollard ($5,900, 18.40 FPTS). Pollard finished the game with 16 carries for 82 yards and the touchdown. He led all Titans players in fantasy football points.
After adding three more points via a field goal, Tennessee scored another touchdown to extend the lead to 17-0 before halftime. This occurred on a 17-yard pass from Will Levis ($5,300, 9.68 FPTS) to tight end Chig Okonkwo ($3,900, 9.5 FPTS). Despite the growing hype entering the season, Okonkwo tallied just one other catch and 15 total yards receiving in the matchup.
With just 27 seconds left in the half, the Bears finally got on the scoreboard with a 24-yard field goal.
Coming out of halftime, the Bears got the spark they needed. With 9:07 left in the third quarter, the special teams unit blocked a punt and turned it into a touchdown. Jonathan Owens was the Bears player to officially produce the score, much to the excitement of his wife Simone Biles.
Chicago continued to chip away at the game with a pair of field goals to cut the lead to just one point. With the Texans leading 17-16, it was the Bears D/ST ($3,400, 24.00 FPTS) that stepped up once again.
This time it was Tyrique Stevenson who picked off Will Levis ($5,300, 9.68 FPTS) and took it 43 yards for a touchdown. This gave the Bears the lead and after a two-point conversion from Williams to running back D’Andre Swift ($6,000, 5.00 FPTS), Chicago took a 24-17 lead.
The Titans were unable to produce another touchdown, and the game ended in a Bears victory. Things were sealed when Levis threw his second interception of the day with 1:15 remaining in the 4th quarter of the matchup. This allowed Williams to kneel the game away in victory formation, as he secured his first victory as a professional.
It will need to be a cleaner performance for Williams moving forward. The USC product completed just 14 of his 29 pass attempts for 93 yards and did not produce a touchdown. He also added 15 yards rushing including picking up a key first down with his legs in the second half.
None of the Bears’ dynamic receiving trio were able to make their impact felt in the matchup either. DJ Moore ($6,500, 10.00 FPTS) was held to just 36 yards receiving on five receptions. After fighting through injury leading up to the game, Keenan Allen ($6,900, 6.90 FPTS) added just 29 receiving yards on four receptions. Rookie Rome Odunze ($4,000, 2.10 FPTS) tallied just one reception in his debut for 11 yards.
Luckily, the Titans’ offense was not able to get much going after some early signs of success. Levis completed 19 of his 32 pass attempts for 127 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Neither Calvin Ridley ($5,800, 8.00 FPTS) nor DeAndre Hopkins (5,700, 1.80 FPTS) were able to make their impact felt. Overall, they combined for just 58 receiving yards on eight targets.
The Bears’ defense is the biggest story of the day with their 24.00-point fantasy performance, leading all scorers in the game and being the driving reason for the team’s victory.
Chicago will look to build off the victory moving forward when they travel to play the Houston Texans in Week 2. Tennessee will continue to search for their first victory when they take on the New York Jets.
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