Final Score: Texans 19 Bears 13
The country was subjected to a rough Sunday Night Football contest in Houston last night, which concluded with the Texans handing the Bears their first loss of the season. Chicago had possession of the ball with 1:30 left, down by less than a score, but the way that the offense performed negates a lot of the encouragement that that fact should come along with. Caleb Williams looked crisp in the first half, but started to make mistakes as everything began caving in around him.
Bright Spots
Eberflus’ Defense is Elite
Starting with the good, the Bears have an elite defense this year. The secondary has taken the steps that fans were hoping for and the pass rush has far exceeded my expectations thanks to the addition of DE Darrell Taylor and improved play of second-year DT Gervon Dexter Sr.
The unit managed to hold the Texans’ highly-regarded offense to 19 points, only 3 coming after halftime. They kept QB CJ Stroud in check, and completely took away Joe Mixon and the rushing attack. Mixon racked up the most rushing yards (157) in the league in Week 1, but was limited to only 25 on Sunday night (2.8 yards per carry). This Bears defense is truly elite, which only makes the offensive struggles more frustrating.
Cairo Santos
Cairo Santos continues to be a really solid kicker for the Bears. He went 2/2 on field goal attempts this week, including a 54-yarder. Santos provides confidence to his offense and his consistency should not be overlooked.
Glaring Issues
The Offensive Line Play is Extremely Concerning
This issue is more than glaring, it is alarming. The way that the offensive line has played through the first two weeks worries me in regards to Caleb Williams’ development. If that sounds familiar, it’s because it is. These are the exact same worries that fans had last year for former QB Justin Fields. The worst-case scenario is that the offensive line is so bad that it hinders Williams’ growth, like Fields.
Houston recorded a whopping 7 sacks on Sunday. Williams was getting absolutely beaten up, especially in the second half. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans hammered blitzes all night long and the Bears couldn’t do anything to stop the extra rusher. Center Coleman Shelton and guard Nate Davis were noticeably bad last night, but second-year tackle Darnell Wright graded out the worst on PFF (72nd out of 79 qualified OTs in PFF grade). Changes, whether internal or external, need to be made to address the situation.
Inability to Run the Ball
The other major issue in Chicago is the inability to run the football. Last year, the Bears were an elite rushing team. However, the loss of QB Justin Fields’ rushing threat has proven a big deal. RB D’Andre Swift had one of the worst statlines I’ve ever seen yesterday, accumulating only 18 yards on 14 carries (1.3 yards per carry).
One of the most important things for a rookie quarterback to have is a solid running game to lean on. Without any threat of the run, everything begins to fall onto the young quarterback’s shoulders.
Rome Odunze’s Slow Start
Rookie WR Rome Odunze’s poor performance is also something that I haven’t been pleased with to start the season. Odunze has only reeled in 3 catches on 9 targets. He and Williams seem to hardly ever be on the same page. The last play of this game was a prime example: Caleb’s 4th and 17th pass attempt went in Rome’s direction, but Odunze was facing the opposite direction, running towards the endzone. I assume that Rome was the player in the wrong. Based on Williams’ throw, it seemed like he expected Rome to run a comeback route right to the first down marker, which is a common play concept in that situation.
Odunze’s health was up in the air heading into the week, so it’s possible that his knee was plaguing him against the Texans. However, he did end up playing 64 of 70 snaps on offense.
Shane Waldron’s Questionable Play-calling
New offensive coordinator Shane Waldron is also on my watch-list. With the offensive line performing as poorly as it is, it is tough to really grade him. Last night, the gameplan relied heavily upon short, horizontal throws. Williams hardly ever threw the ball downfield, possibly because Waldron was afraid of the protection loosening up too quick for longer routes to develop. Still, the lack of involvement for star WR DJ Moore was concerning and I’d like to see a bit more creativity. No matter how poor your players might be playing, one touchdown in two games does not look good for an offensive coordinator.
Standout Performers
Ka’imi Fairbairn
Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn is unironically my player of the game. He went 4/4 on field goal attempts including a 53, 56, and 59-yarder. The rocket off of his foot at the conclusion of the first half was the most crucial to me. The Bears had scored with limited time left in the second quarter and figured to head into halftime with momentum. Instead, Fairbairn’s strong leg allowed the Texans to steal a few extra points.
Kamari Lassiter
Texans rookie cornerback Kamari Lassiter also deserves his flowers after his impressive performance. He graded out with a PFF coverage grade of 80.6 which was good for 12th in the NFL in Week 2 (although still behind Bears CB Jaylon Johnson who slotted in at 9th). Lassiter only surrendered 20 yards and recorded the first interception of his career. It’s impressive for a rookie cornerback to perform so well, especially this early in the season!
Were the Keys to the Game Met?
One of the Bears’ keys to this game was to corral RB Joe Mixon, which they did. Unfortunately, this was not enough. One of Houston’s keys was to take advantage of Chicago’s offensive line. The Texans succeeded dramatically in this facet, and it more more than enough to make up for the lack of efficiency from Mixon.
Key Drive of the Game
In a game with a lot of ugly possessions, Houston’s lone touchdown drive was important and easily the most pleasing to the eye. The Texans moved 77 yards down the field before finding the endzone on the first play of the second quarter. WR Nico Collins also had a cool moment. In a (successful) attempt to aggravate Collins, Bears CB Tyrique Stevenson stuck his finger in the receiver’s helmet. Collins retaliated with a push, picking up a 15-yard penalty in the process after the referee failed to see Stevenson’s antics. Collins responded by immediately shaking Stevenson at the line of scrimmage on the next play, catching the ball in the middle of the field, and trudging on to complete a 28-yard touchdown reception.