If you're looking for a silver lining from the Tennessee Titans' Week 1 collapse defeat to the Chicago Bears, it's the play of rookie defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat. Sweat was downright dominant at times. It was an impressive showing by the first-year defender.
The first perceived concern Sweat had to address was his conditioning. Misconceptions ran rampant after the Titans drafted the big-bodied defender, despite him consistently handling a sizable workload at Texas in 2023. Sweat played 38 total defensive snaps against the Bears, only seven less than superstar defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. A box was checked as he accounted for nearly 70% of all Titans defensive snaps.
Sweat shut down several running plays. His most impressive snap occurred with the Titans nursing a 17-0 first-half lead. The Bears faced a first-and-10 in Titans territory when Sweat hit left guard Teven Jenkins with a quick-footed swim move to knife into the backfield. The former Longhorns standout forced D'Andre Swift outside, where Titans nickel cornerback Roger McCreary met him to confirm a negative play.
Sweat consistently gave Jenkins fits in pass protection as well. On one particular snap, Sweat swatted Jenkins' hands down after the offensive guard short-setted, executing another effective swim/club move. Sweat flushed rookie quarterback Caleb Williams from the pocket, resulting in another positive snap for Dennard Wilson's defense.
Pro Football Focus credited Sweat with generating two quarterback pressures and two hurries en route to a 81.8 pass-rushing grade. Sweat was Tennessee's second-highest graded overall defender at 77.7, trailing just Amani Hooker (87.9). He graded out with a 64.2 in run defense.
Wilson used Sweat in a variety of ways. Later on a third-and-goal, Sweat actually faked the rush and dropped into coverage. Titans linebacker Ernest Jones IV batted down Williams' pass after embarrassing the center Coleman Shelton. Wilson's call to drop Sweat into zone coverage showcases his versatility and the faith he has in his rookie's ability to execute different concepts.
Overall, Sweat played a critical role in Tennessee's strong defensive showcase. The Titans held the Bears to 2-of-13 on third down attempts and just 148 total net yards of offense. They also sacked Williams on two occasions, and recorded eight tackles for loss and five quarterback hits.
It was a remarkable professional debut for Sweat all things considered. The second-round rookie made game-altering plays both as a pass rusher and run stopper, and even displayed versatility to drop (which won't happen frequently) in more exotic coverage approaches. Sweat is already meeting Tennessee's expectations.