The Chicago Bears remain undefeated in the preseason during the Matt Eberflus era. The Bears defeated the Tennessee Titans, 23-17, in their first game of the 2023 preseason.
Chicago’s starters on offense were impressive, scoring two touchdowns on their two series before being subbed out for the second-string players. Outside of the first drive, the Bears defense bent, but they didn’t break, pitching a shutout in the second half. This was all around a great team win, and fans have a lot to be excited about.
With how well the starters played, it will only add to the excitement for Week 1, when the Bears host the rival Green Bay Packers.
Here is everything we know about Chicago’s preseason win.
Final Score: Bears 23, Titans 17
Keys to the Game
Starting Offense Shines: Though it was a short two series, the Bears starters looked amazing. There were some obvious improvements, with Justin Fields looking down the field, instead of taking off and running at the first sign of trouble in the pocket. Fields went 3-for-3 for 129 passing yards and two touchdowns. Those two touchdowns went to D.J. Moore (62 yards) and Khalil Herbert (59 yards).
Backup Quarterback Questions: With the good comes the bad. While Fields looked good, backup P.J. Walker didn’t. Walker went 4-of-8 for just 19 passing yards and one interception. Walker had an awful interception and was consistently was missing targets. In the second half, Nathan Peterman came in and played well, going 4-of-6 with 58 passing yards. After Peterman’s day was done, undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent came in and went 4-of-5 with 37 passing yards.
Defensive Domination: The Bears defense played great on Saturday. They got to both quarterbacks Malik Willis and Will Levis, combining for eight sacks. In addition, they had two interceptions and recovered two fumbles. Defensive end Terrell Lewis, who is making a case for a roster spot, led the way with two sacks and one forced fumble.
It was over when...
It was over when safety Bralen Trahan intercepted quarterback Will Levis with 0:14 remaining. This was after the Bears went three-and-out, after stopping quarterback Malik Willis’ pass to wide receiver Gavin Holmes in the back of the end zone with 1:41 left in the game.
With no timeouts left, the matchup was over, and the Bears improved to 1-0 in the preseason.
3 Stars of the Game
***Bralen Trahan: Rookie defensive back Bralen Trahan helped clinch the game, with a game-sealing interception with 14 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Along with his game-sealing interception, Trahan had three total tackles.
**Justin Fields: Justin Fields looked like a different quarterback on Saturday. He wasn’t a one-read passer who ran the ball with the first sign of trouble. He used his legs to extend plays and create two touchdowns. They were short throws that turned into long touchdowns, but he did his job.
*D.J. Moore: Yes, Fields was impressive, but those two touchdowns were short throws. D.J. Moore took a screen and went 62 yards the first time he touched the ball as a Bear. Moore proved that anytime he touches the ball, he has the ability to take it for a touchdown.
What's Next
Next Saturday, the Bears will face the Indianapolis Colts on the road, in their second preseason game, at 6 p.m. CT. This will be the second time in franchise history these two teams play in the preseason – with the first coming back in 2019. In that 2019 preseason game, the Bears defeated the Colts, 27-17.
