Darrell Taylor’s instant impact, Caleb Williams’ missed throws: Bears Week 1 takeaways

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – The Chicago Bears’ defensive call against quarterback Will Levis on third-and-6 on the Tennessee Titans 48 worked as planned for their personnel.

Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds blitzed up the middle but was picked off by running back Tyjae Spears. Defensive end Montez Sweat was doubled by right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere and right guard Dillon Radunz, which resulted in single blocks on the other side.

For defensive end Darrell Taylor, that meant a one-on-one rush against rookie left tackle JC Latham, the No. 7 pick in the NFL Draft. With speed and a quick swing of Latham’s left arm, Taylor was in the backfield almost immediately.

The result was a sack and strip by Taylor and then a fumble recovery by linebacker TJ Edwards. It was the first of three takeaways the Bears defense produced in the fourth quarter.

“That changed a lot of momentum for us, just creating takers,” Taylor said. “Just to give the ball to our offense and give them another chance to get into the end zone. That was big for us. And I’m excited to be able to do that and help the team.”

Taylor was one of the Bears’ best players in the 24-17 win against the Titans. He also had a sack of Levis on the first play of the second quarter. His production and fit in the Bears defense lead my five picks.

1. It’s only one game, but the trade for Taylor looks like another success for general manager Ryan Poles, especially since it only cost the team a sixth-round pick.

Taylor certainly feels that way too.

“Man, it’s exciting,” Taylor said. “(The Seattle Seahawks) didn’t see a place for me. But the Chicago Bears saw a place for me on their team. So I’m excited to be out here, make an impact and do whatever I can to help this team win every week.”

Taylor, a second-round pick of the Seahawks in 2020, made two sacks and seven tackles in 38 snaps against the Titans. When he first took the field on third down, defensive end DeMarcus Walker moved inside in place of nose tackle Andrew Billings. Sweat and three-tech gear Gervon Dexter made up the rest of the line. That’s the Bears’ best foursome.

“I just played in the scheme of the defense,” Taylor said. “I didn’t do anything extra. I just did what they told me. And it all worked out, being on point and speeding with the guys next to me. So that’s all that was needed.”

2. The Bears’ rotation at right guard with Nate Davis and Ryan Bates needs to end sooner rather than later.

Davis started, but the official snap counts revealed that Bats (38 snaps) doubled Davis’ playing time (18). It’s a rotation that feels like partial benching.

“We’ll look at it this week and we’ll see where it’s at,” coach Matt Eberflus said when asked about the rotation. “Both guys have played guards a long time and both are good at the job. We’ll see where it goes this week.”

Rotating them felt like a dangerous game to play in quarterback Caleb Williams’ first career start and especially against defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, one of the best at his position in the NFL, as well as a 6-foot-4, 366-pound rookie T. – Vondre Sweat mingled.

The Bruins’ preference certainly seems to be Bats over Davis. The Bruins tried to challenge Davis throughout camp, including Eberflus’ messaging in the media. But Bates missed the end of training camp with a shoulder problem.

3. If we’re all saying Williams had a bad debut, then the same should be said about offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s game plan and play calling in his Bears debut.

To be fair, the Titans had a tough opener. It’s Week 1, and there hasn’t been any real tape on defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson’s scheme. He was the defensive backs coach of the Baltimore Ravens last season after two years with the Philadelphia Eagles. Some projection was required.

But Waldron is also believed to be better and more experienced than former Bears coordinator Luke Getsy.

Waldron’s use of the tight ends stood out when the Bears leaned into 11 personnel (one back, one tight end, three receivers).

Cole Kmet was on the field for 27 of the Bears’ 56 snaps — a significant reduction for a player who was on the field for 77, 94 and 83 percent of the team’s games over the last three seasons. Gerald Everett played 34 snaps.

Everett and Kmet started the game together with the Bears in 12 personnel: a 6-yard run by running back D’Andre Swift. Kmet made one catch for 4 yards, while Everett made a catch for a 1-yard loss on third-and-29 from the Titans’ 44 in the third quarter.

4. The conversation surrounding Williams’ debut would have been different if he had caught two passes to receiver Keenan Allen against the Titans.

The first hit came on third-and-3 from Tennessee’s 41 in the first quarter. Allen got open down the left side and Williams sailed his throw past him.

That’s on Williams.

The second miss came on a second-and-goal from the 6 of the Titans in the final minute of the second quarter. Williams’ throw went through the hands of Allen, whose route took him down the goal line toward the pylon.

That’s on Allen.

After the game, Williams mentioned three misses: Swift in the flat, DJ Moore on a route on the backside and Carter deep down the left side after he recognized the Titans were in Cover 0.

Eberflus didn’t say much about Williams on Monday, only that his footwork was off at times, but that his vision was good overall. Or as Williams said, “Just missing and misshooting and putting the ball where I wanted.”

5. The Bruins’ decision to sign linebacker TJ Edwards continues to be one of the team’s most underrated moves under Poles.

From stuffing runs to making tackles in the flat, Edwards was all over the field, finishing with a team-best 15 tackles, including two for loss and 10 solo stops. He also recovered Levis’ fumble that Taylor forced.

Edwards picked up where he left off last season. He led the Bruins with 155 tackles, four fewer than his career high in 2022 for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was a perfect fit as the weakside linebacker in Eberflus’ defense.

“You want to be around the ball as a linebacker,” Edwards said after the win against the Titans. “I think I will focus on more things that I could do better.

(Top photo of Darrell Taylor, 52: Mike Dinovo / USA Today)