It was a tale of two halves on Sunday for the Chicago Bears and Tennessee Titans. In the first, everything went Tennessee’s way. Their defense completely shut down Chicago’s reforged offense while Will Levis and the ground game staked the Titans to a commanding 17-0 lead. Things looked promising to start the second half, too, as the defense quickly forced another punt. However, things began to unravel from there. Daniel Hardy started things off by blocking a punt that Jonathan Owens returned for a touchdown.
The Bears defense took care of the rest. Two quick punts and a strip-sack of Levis allowed the offense short fields that led to field goals, shaving down the lead to 17-16. Even so, Tennessee still had a chance to retake control of the game. They drove close to midfield midway through the 4th quarter. A field goal would make it a four-point game. Chicago’s offense would have to score a touchdown, which was probably asking too much. Then, on 3rd and 6, Levis committed the ultimate sin of any quarterback.
At the time, most Bears fans were focused on Tyrique Stevenson driving home the dagger with that pick-six. However, closer examination of the sequence revealed something even better. Watching the video again reveals Levis kneeling on the Soldier Field turf with his hands on his helmet, helplessly watching the Bears deliver the kill shot.
It gets even better. There is even a full high-definition version of the moment that shows Levis’ utter anguish and disbelief.
There is no getting around the facts. Will Levis must shoulder the blame for that loss. His defense was excellent. The running game had 112 yards in the first half. However, when the Bears began to stymie that ground attack, it fell on Levis to win the game through the air. He responded with two interceptions, including that pick-six. Remember that the guy had DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley, and Tyler Boyd as his targets. There was no excuse for him to play so poorly. Then again, the Bears defense is pretty good. Here is hoping he rebounds in the coming weeks. Otherwise, that photo will sum up Tennessee’s entire season.
