The Tennessee Titans open the 2024 NFL season Sunday in Chicago, and the big storyline of the game is the debut of No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams. The task is going to be tall for the Titans defense, especially against the other offensive weapons the Bears have at their disposal.
Now, despite the excitement and hype centered around Williams, we have to remember that he's a rookie quarterback in Week 1. That is no knock on his talent or potential, or indicative of how he will look in later years, months, or even weeks, but the reality is that most quarterbacks in his situation tend to struggle early.
That is compeltely understandable, as even the most talented individuals in any profession take time to adapt to a level at which they have no prior experience. If this game were later in the year, the approach for the Titans defense might be slightly different, but in this immediate moment, they have to especially focus on playing the way they supposedly want to.
Tennessee Titans defense must bring the heat early and often against Caleb Williams
Dennard Wilson has talked about coaching a defense that is aggressive and in your face, and part of that includes exotic blitz packages. Heck, it is why they went out and got Kenneth Murray early in the offseason, and he seems to be turning around his play in this new scheme.
But you could further see the Titans' commitment to that defensive style when they traded for Ernest Jones on roster cut-down day. Jones is a great blitzing linebacker that posted more QB pressures than any other defender at his position in the league last season, per Pro Football Focus.
The Titans were pretty thin at middle linebacker before the trade for Jones, but with him now in the fold, it will open up holes for he and Murray to get after quarterbacks. And just imagine what it will look like when Jamal Adams, who the team signed for similar reasons, returns from his injury that will keep him out for Week 1.
It would be nice to have Adams available versus Chicago, but even without him, Murray and Jones are two NFL linebackers with the type of speed and athleticism Williams has almost never seen. Wilson should have them attack the pocket to disrupt Williams' process.
Williams is known for being creative and eluding pressure, and he could make you pay if you live and die by that sword. But once again, he's still acclimating to the speed of professional football, and having to make quick decisions under pressure is naturally hardest when you have never done it at this level before.
There is also the argument that you cannot just bring the heat all the time against the Bears trio of receivers, and if the Titans do that, they will have to live with those guys getting their yards. But unlike years past, the Titans have a very strong cornerback trio that is meant to excel in press coverage.
They will have their hands full guarding the Bears' receivers, but the same is true about them producing against the Titans' corners. You can trust that L'Jarius Sneed, Chidobe Awuzie, and Roger McCreary will play an overall respectable game, and Wilson should feel comfortable leaving them on an island when blitzing Williams.
Of course, everything starts with the quarterback, and the Titans need to have guys in Williams' face so he cannot get the ball to his elite receivers. And let's acknowledge once again that if this game were halfway through or later in the season, it would make sense to let up on the pressure a bit.
Williams isn't yet experienced at beating pressure in an NFL pocket. Later in the season, it would have helped to have extra coverage at the second and third levels to neutralize the Bears' pass catchers. But in Week 1, the best way to get results is to harass Williams, and keep doing it until he shows he can beat it.