NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- In a game in which quarterback Will Levis said his "bonehead play" handed the Chicago Bears the game as his Tennessee Titans dropped their season opener in historic fashion, it would be easy for the defense to point the finger at special teams and the offense after their poor performances.
Tennessee's defense didn't allow the Bears to get into end zone despite being put in adverse situations after a 66-yard kick return and a strip sack had Chicago starting offensive drives deep in Titans territory.
The 24-17 defeat is the only time in NFL history a team lost a game in which they possessed at least a 17-point lead and gave up fewer than 150 total yards of offense.
The Titans gave up 148 total yards, which is the fewest in the NFL. They also lead in fewest passing yards allowed (64) and rank ninth in rushing yards allowed (84).
"It's frustrating to lose, but I'm motivated," defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons said. "I'm not worried about the offense. They'll clean stuff up and same with special teams. But as a defense, we have to keep our foot on the gas. We didn't [create] one turnover. When teams start getting momentum, we have to find ways to get the offense the ball."
Generating turnovers has been an Achilles' heel for the Titans' defense. Last season's 14 takeaways were second worst in the league. That's why new coach Brian Callahan's first hire was to bring in Dennard Wilson as his defensive coordinator.
"[Takeaways are] a huge emphasis for us," Wilson said. "With takeaways, it's about your technique, it's about population to the ball, attacking the ball with violence and being violent at the point of a contact. We need to make effort to knock the ball out, get it off of the team to create short fields or scoring defense."
The Baltimore Ravens had 18 interceptions with Wilson as their secondary coach last season, tying them with four other teams for the third most in the league. Wilson's secondary with the Philadelphia Eagles finished in a three-way tie for the third most (17) in 2022.
There were opportunities to create turnovers last week in Chicago. Quandre Diggs deflected a Caleb Williams pass to DJ Moore that could have been intercepted, but Chicago receiver Rome Odunze jumped over linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. to catch it.
A few plays later, Titans linebacker Ernest Jones IV trucked Bears center Coleman Shelton and knocked another Williams pass in the air. It was almost intercepted by defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat who was dropping back into coverage.
It's different to see the Titans drop defensive tackles into coverage. Sweat and Simmons are normally asked to use their brute strength to create an interior pass rush. Combined, the two weigh over 650 pounds and use their ability and size to collapse the pocket and affect quarterbacks.
"When you get vertical push from inside, it doesn't allow the quarterback to slide and move and see the field the way they want to," Callahan said. "As the guards get pushed back or the pocket collapses in the interior, there's nowhere to go because quarterbacks are almost always instructed to never leave out the back of the pocket where the edge rushers get a chance to bring it down."
Neither Simmons nor Sweat registered a sack against the Bears, but both players were credited with quarterback pressures. Sacking the quarterback isn't always the desired result. Sometimes getting pressure and affecting the quarterback can lead to turnovers.
The Titans are hoping this will be the result of their pressure when they host the New York Jets on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS) at Nissan Stadium. Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers will utilize a quick-passing game, so the Titans' front will try to get its hands up and match the quarterback's hands in hopes of deflecting a pass at the line of scrimmage.
That's what Titans defensive line coach Tracy Rocker had the players working on this week. During individual period, assistant defensive line coach/pass rush specialist Clint McMillan simulated the quarterback raising his hand to throw the football while the defenders charged at him one at a time. The defenders matched hands with McMillan, who threw a kickball in their direction to get them in the habit of deflecting passes at the line of scrimmage.
#Titans DC Dennard Wilson on pass rushers if they don't get to the QB: If you can't get to the QB get your hands up. pic.twitter.com/pdZhI37pKd
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) September 12, 2024
Disrupting Williams and the Bears helped erase how Chicago's receivers were able to get open in Tennessee's secondary at times. Williams struggled to get them the ball because he was consistently being harassed.
Cornerback L'Jarius Sneed helped limit the impact of Moore and Keenan Allen. Sneed gave up two receptions for 18 yards combined against Allen and Moore but said he still felt he had plenty to improve.
"I always have a lot more work to do," Sneed said, "and I'm still growing and learning."
Sneed didn't follow particular receivers much against the Bears, but it's very possible he will watch Garrett Wilson since the Jets move him around to create what they feel are matchup advantages. The veteran cornerback is no stranger to taking on the opposing team's top receiver.
While with the Kansas City Chiefs last season, Sneed covered the opponents' top receiver for at least 65% of the snaps during seven games last season, according to NFL Next Gen Stats -- a league high. Only once were any of those receivers able to catch more than two passes. Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders had five catches for 73 yards on seven targets against Sneed in Week 12.
"It's another great challenge this week," Sneed said. "I'm ready for whoever I'm going up against. I'm just working to gain trust so they can just put me wherever they want me to be. I have to go out there and possibly prove it."