Caleb Williams struggles in Bears debut; Chicago rides defense, special teams to win over Titans

Caleb Williams surely didn't envision this stat line for Chicago Bears debut.

But he'll take the result.

Williams struggled in his first game as the Bears' starting quarterback after being selected first overall in April's draft. But the Bears secured a 24-17 win on Sunday thanks in large part to big plays on defense and special teams.

The Bears went into halftime trailing 17-3 after struggling to move the ball in the first half. But they blocked a punt early in third quarter and returned it for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 17-10. After a Chicago field goals, a pick-six thrown by Titans quarterback Will Levis allowed the Bears to take a 24-17 lead early in the fourth quarter.

The Titans had a chance to tie the game late in the fourth after the Bears punted with 2:20 remaining. But Chicago's defense kept Tennessee out of the end zone to complete the second-half shutout and secure victory for the Bears.

Williams finished his NFL debut completing 14 of 29 passes 92 yards. He didn't throw a touchdown or turn the ball over. He took two sacks for a loss of 29 yards. It was a sobering start in Williams' first real action against an NFL defense. But the win will surely make the struggles on offense go down considerably easier.