The Bears bolstered their roster throughout the offseason via trade, free agency and the draft. The most significant addition was Moore, who was acquired along with four draft picks from the Panthers in exchange for the No. 1 choice in the draft.
“When you increase your skill on your football team, the catch and runs get larger and the stat line looks better,” Eberflus said. “We’re going to continue to do that, and certainly we’re going to take our shots down the field as well. But it’s a good thing to see. And it’s not a real big surprise to anybody that’s been around because we’ve all seen it in practices. Just got to keep working because we’ve got a long way to go.”
The Bears defense also produced impact plays, generating four takeaways and eight sacks in Saturday’s victory. Defensive end Terrell Lewis led the way with 2.0 sacks, while defensive end Jalen Harris added 1.5.
“Defensively, I thought we attacked the football well,” Eberflus said. “I thought we really rushed the passer better than we had, so you can see some improvements there. We’re excited about that.”
Three of the Bears’ four takeaways came in the second quarter. First, safety A.J. Thomas intercepted a pass at the goal line that deflected off tight end Josh Whyle. Safety Adrian Colbert then forced and recovered a Whyle fumble at the Bears’ 40 after a short reception. Lewis later sacked Malik Willis, forcing a fumble that rookie defensive tackle Zacch Pickens recovered at the Titans’ 37.
