CHICAGO — Well, no one expected the Tennessee Titans to be in midseason form this far away from the midseason.
The Titans lost to the Chicago Bears 23-17 Saturday, in their first preseason game. Some phases looked better than others, but it was generally a sloppy game where both teams struggled with penalties and turnovers, and the large number of rookies, undrafted players and former practice squad players getting used to the speed of NFL action.
Here’s how The Tennessean graded each position group in the Titans’ loss.
Quarterbacks: B-
It’s hard to fault Malik Willis or Will Levis for the way they played given how much they were under pressure. But aside from the one drive Willis led with the first-team offensive line on the field, there wasn’t much sustained success. Both were efficient, combining to complete 70% of their attempts. But neither did much to push the ball downfield, with a 30-yard pass on the first play from scrimmage representing the longest gain.
Running backs: B
Rookie Tyjae Spears looked really good on his one drive. Julius Chestnut ran hard and showed some shiftiness in his second-half opportunities. But second-year back Hassan Haskins wasn’t all that impressive and, unfortunately, veteran Jonathan Ward left the game early with a knee injury.
Wide receivers: B-
None of the young receivers separated from each other, but they more or less looked good. Racey McMath, Reggie Roberson, Kearis Jackson, Gavin Holmes and Tre’Shaun Harrison all made at least one nice play, and drops were not an issue.
Tight ends: D
Rookie Josh Whyle drags the group down. He had a high but catchable throw deflect off his hands for an interception, and fumbled after one of his two receptions.
Offensive line: D
The second-string blockers didn’t do themselves any favors, allowing eight sacks. The first-string group looked good leading to a touchdown on the first drive of the game, but every starter sat out the rest of the day.
Defensive line: B
One of the few players expected to get significant reps who played Saturday was defensive end Rashad Weaver, who made two tackles, with a tackle for loss. Undrafted edge defenders T.K. McLendon and Caleb Murphy also made their presences known.
Linebacker: C
Second-year inside backer Chance Campbell was around the ball a lot. Aside from him, no linebacker made more than two tackles. And with the way the Bears’ No. 1 offense took two short passes for long touchdowns, there may be some concern about pursuit.
Defensive backs: C-
Like the linebackers, there are questions about pursuit. And the Bears were efficient passing. But a few players looked good as tacklers, particularly safety Mike Brown and cornerback Eric Garror.
Kickers: C
Caleb Shudak made his one kick from 41 yards and Trey Wolff missed his only attempt from 48 yards. Shudak also kicked one kickoff out of bounds.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on Twitter @nicksuss.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans grades vs Chicago Bears in 2023 NFL preseason