Chicago Bears faceoff with Houston Texans in week 2
With week 1 of the 2024 NFL season in the books, the Chicago Bears will look to improve to 2-0 as they take on the Houston Texans this Sunday night in Houston. After a dramatic come-from-behind victory over the Tennessee Titans last week, the Bears face a much tougher test in the Texans. While the Bears’ offense struggled last week, their defense and special teams are what powered Chicago to a 24-17 victory. However, the Texans’ offense is far superior to the one the Bears just faced last Sunday. This will be a test.
The Texans are also heading into this matchup 1-0 after defeating the Indianapolis Colts 29-27 last week. Houston dominated the time of possession, holding the ball for 40 minutes to the Colts’ 20 minutes. This is particularly important because the Bears struggled to maintain possession of the football in their win over the Titans last week. If the Bears want to upset the Texans, they’ll need to keep Houston’s offense off the field more than the Colts did.
Breaking down the Texans offense
Perhaps the biggest reason for the recent emergence of the Houston Texans has been second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud. Stoud, who was drafted second overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, helped guide the Texans to an AFC South Division title last season, finishing 10-7. Stroud was spectacular in his rookie campaign as he finished with 4,108 yards passing, 23 touchdowns, and just five interceptions. This earned him NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors while also getting a Pro Bowl nod.
Stroud has plenty of weapons to work with. The Texans boast one of the best wide receiver units in football, with a depth chart featuring Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs, Tank Dell, and Robert Woods. Even though the Bears’ secondary is verging on elite, this will be a huge test for them. Diggs, who was traded to the Texans by the Buffalo Bills this offseason, has recorded 100+ receptions in four consecutive seasons. Collins, who was drafted in the third-round in 2021, had his breakout season last year when he totaled 80 receptions for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns.
Then there’s Tank Dell. In his rookie season last year, he amassed 709 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in just 11 games played. Veteran Robert Woods provides incredible depth to the Texans’ wide receiver room. Any team would love to have a player of his caliber listed as fourth on the depth chart. Tight end Dalton Schultz also shouldn’t be overlooked. He hauled in 59 passes last season, including five touchdowns.
Another newcomer for the Texans this season is running back Joe Mixon, who went off last week for 159 yards on the ground and a touchdown. Mixon was previously with the Cincinnati Bengals before signing with the Texans this past offseason. While dangerous running the ball, Mixon is also a threat as a receiver out of the backfield, catching 112 passes in his last two seasons combined.
If the Bears are to have success against this elite passing offense, they’ll need to stop the run. Beyond that, they’ll need to get pressure on C.J. Stroud. If Stroud is able to stand in the pocket with time, these receivers will get open and the Bears will be picked apart. Stroud is somewhat of a statue in the pocket, which resulted in him being sacked 38 times last season, which was the eighth-most of all NFL quarterbacks.
Some of those sacks were a result of holes in the Texans’ offensive line. This is why it’s imperative that the Bears attack the weaknesses in the Texans’ line. The Texans entered 2024 with the 22nd ranked offensive line in the NFL, according to PFF rankings.
Aside from veteran right guard Shaq Mason and four-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil, the Texans are very young and unproven up front. Tunsil uncharacterstically gave up two sacks in last week’s season opener, so he isn’t impenetrable on that left side. Left guard Kenyon Green is a potential weak link, entering just his second season after missing all of 2023 with a shoulder injury. In his rookie season in 2022, he earned a PFF grade of just 37.7. Getting pressure on Stroud and beating this offensive line will be the Bears’ key to slowing down this Texans offense.
Texans defense features rising stars
Last year’s NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year went to Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr., who finished the season with seven sacks and led all rookies with 64 QB pressures, according to NFL NextGen Stats. He will line up opposite Bears’ left tackle Braxton Jones, who had a PFF 75.9 pass-blocking grade in week 1.
On the other side, veteran Danielle Hunter also presents a problem. The former Minnesota Vikings pass rusher has 87.5 career sacks and led the team in QB pressures last week with five. Luckily, the Texans’ strength is on the edges rather than the interior. Center Coleman Shelton and right guard Nate Davis struggled last week against the Titans’ duo of T’Vondre Sweat and Jeffery Simmons, so hopefully Chicago’s tackles are up to the task this week. Darnell Wright, who will handle Hunter, had the highest PFF grade (72.7) of any Bears lineman in week 1.
Third-year cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and rookie corner Kamari Lassiter have potential to be a solid combo for the Texans. Stingley came into his own last season, recording five interceptions in 11 games. Stingley was targeted nine times by the Colts in last week’s win, resulting in five receptions for 85 yards and a score. Meanwhile, Lassiter was targeted three times last week in his NFL debut, allowing just one catch for eight yards.
The Texans ranked 6th in the NFL against the run in 2023, but they ranked 23rd in pass defense. To address this, they drafted Kamari Lassiter (2nd round) and safety Calen Bullock (3rd round) in this year’s draft. The Bears can exploit this Texans secondary if they can keep a clean pocket for quarterback Caleb Williams. One thing they failed to do last week was establish the running game. This would take pressure off Williams and set up effective play-action.
Chicago Bears could be short at wide receiver Sunday night
As of Friday afternoon, wide receivers Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze were listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. Keenan Allen, who has been dealing with a heel issue, hasn’t practiced all week and looks like a longshot to play. Odunze practiced in a limited fashion on Friday after spraining his knee in last week’s game. Even if Odunze plays, Tyler Scott will likely see a sizable role in the offense.
The Texans gave up three passing plays of 50+ yards last week in Indianapolis, including two for touchdowns. The opportunity for big plays will be there for the Bears. After last week’s stunning comeback that featured the defense, the offense will look to get their feet wet this week and send the Bears to 2-0.
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