NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans may have lose to the Chicago Bears in the first preseason game by a score of 23-17, but it wasn't all bad. Rookie running back Tyjae Spears displayed explosiveness and stood out during the loss.
Spears only played one drive, the opening one, in Saturday's game, but he made a major impact. Carrying the ball six times for 32 yards while adding one catch for four yards. Spears, along with Malik Willis, were huge parts of the Titans 75-yard touchdown drive to start the game.
Spears looked incredible quick making cutbacks and also showed some strength with a stiff arm on Bears' safety Eddie Jackson during his longest run of the day, a 14-yard gain. The coaching staff had seen enough out of Spears after the solid first drive and he sat the rest of the game.
Titans' acting head coach Terrell Williams spoke about Spears' performance after the game.
"He ran hard," Williams said. "He was physical."
Williams gave credit to the starting offensive line who played with Spears and did well to open up some holes for Spears.
Spears also returned the opening kickoff for 22 yards. Spears showed the versatility the Titans expected when they drafted him in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft.
Spears is now expected to be the Titans primary runner behind Derrick Henry. Spears' ability allows him to not only be a complement to Henry in the passing game, but also legitimately take carries off of Henry's plate, which should keep Henry fresher throughout the season.
Spears is a rookie, of course. The Titans can't expect too much out of him, but it is fair for the expectations to rise a bit after what we saw spears do in Chicago. The fact that the coaches pulled the rookie after one drive shows they feel the same.
It may have been a short stint, but Spears definitely impressed and in the midst of a sloppy game, Spears was able to stand out in the best way possible.
Titans v Bears Stories
- LIVE GAME BLOG: The Tennessee Titans open their 2023 preseason on Saturday against the Chicago Bears, and all eyes are on young quarterbacks Malik Willis and Will Levis. We're also hoping to see some improved play along the offensive line. Welcome to our live blog, where we'll keep you updated all day long in real time straight from the press box at Solider Field. CLICK HERE
- Malik Willis TD Run: The Tennessee Titans are in the opening quarter of their preseason matchup against the Chicago Bears and Malik Willis has put the Titans up 7-0 with a rushing touchdown. CLICK HERE
- Hassan Haskins TD: The Tennessee Titans were able to tie things up in the second quarter with a Hassan Haskins TD run on fourth down. CLICK HERE
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