A Scout’s Take: Tennessee is the Perfect Opening Game for the Bears

Ever since the NFL schedule was released on Wednesday night, I have seen several articles, comments, Podcasts, etc, asking why the League scheduled the Tennessee Titans as the Chicago Bears opener.

One local writer/podcaster said the League showed no respect towards the Bears organization with all the hype they have gotten with the drafting of quarterback Caleb Williams. He said the League should have had the Bears open with a tough rivalry game and that the game should have been in one of the Prime-Time telecasts.

I'm sorry, but that couldn't be more wrong.

The League did the Bears a favor by having the opener versus Tennessee. Too often, over the last few years, the Bears have opened up against a very tough opponent and then lost the game. With the situation this 2024 version of the Chicago Bears are in, they needed to have an winnable opener.

I am not disrespecting Tennessee, as they are like the Bears, a team on the rise. They have a second-year quarterback in Will Levis, who could really take off in year two of his career. They added wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who, paired with DeAndre Hopkins and Tyler Boyd, gives the Titans a formidable wide receiver group.

The Titans' defense is loaded with very good NFL players, such as Jeffery Simmons and Harold Landry, but trust me, this game will not be easy for the Chicago Bears.

With a rookie quarterback in Caleb Williams, this Bears team needs success early to give both Willimas and the overall team confidence. The last thing they need is to play against one of the tough teams on their schedule and start out with a loss. That could be disastrous!

Success and confidence breeds more success and confidence. With a young team that still doesn't know how to win, getting that confidence early is of the utmost importance. After Tennessee, the Bears have to go on the road for two straight weeks and play two very tough teams in Houston and Indianapolis. The Texans were the darlings of the League last year when they went from a last-place AFC South team in 2022 to winning the AFC South in 2023 with a 10 - 7 record. If Chicago wants to do the same thing, they need to find success early. It's really that simple.

I have been saying for weeks on my Podcast that the key to the Chicago Bears having a good season and making a run for a Playoff berth was to have success early in the season. That means they need to win at least twice and perhaps three times in their first four games. When we look at who the Bears play in those four games it is a situation that can be achieved.

The first four games are home versus Tennessee, at Houston, at Indianapolis, and home versus the Rams. It's my opinion that the Bears have to win the two home games and hope to split the two road games. If that happens, and the team stays injury-free, they will be on their way to earning a Playoff berth.

No, the Bears weren't disrespected with an opening game versus Tennessee, the League actually did them a huge favor and fans should be thankful.