Bear Digest

Bears Fail to Measure Up Against Texans in 19-13 Defeat

Caleb Williams' passing improves but the lack of a running game and overall offensive inconsistency combined to help Houston drop Chicago to 1-1 on the year.

Gene Chamberlain

Tight end Dalton Schultz tries to elude a tackle attempt by Jaylon Johnson in Sundays 19-13 Bears loss.
Tight end Dalton Schultz tries to elude a tackle attempt by Jaylon Johnson in Sundays 19-13 Bears loss. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
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The Bears and Caleb Williams didn't figure to be on a level with the Houston Texans.

They weren't, but they took measure of how they compare with one of the league's better teams and quarterbacks, them moved on after a physical 19-13 loss.

"What I was most proud of was the guys fought all the way to the end and we had ourselves a chance to win the game to the last possession," coach Matt Eberflus said.

The offense failed to measure up to what the Texans got from C.J. Stroud as Williams completed 22 of 37 for 174 yards with two interceptions and was sacked seven times, but Houston's QB went 23-of-36 for 260 yards with one TD.

"Watching tonight we were moving the ball pretty well in the first half it felt like," Williams said. "Then in the second half it kind of got shaky and out ahead for us and things like that."

The Bears defense recovered from a rocky start to hold the Texans to three second-half points, limiting Houston's Joe Mixon to 25 yards on nine carries one week after he ran for 159 yards.

However, Stroud did enough first-half damage throwing to wide receiver Nico Collins to give Houston all the points necessary on the day, with a 23-of-36 effort for 260 yards and one TD. Collins had eight catches for 135 yards and the 28-yard TD for a 10-3 lead.

Houston gained just 75 yards rushing as a team, but the lack of punch by Williams and his receivers, and the missing running game left the Bears with the road defeat.

The Bears defense combined with 115 yards in Texans penalties to keep the Bears in the game, while Williams and the passing game inched forward.

However, a final drive with no timeouts remaining ended in a fourth-and-17 incompletion from the Bears 40 to snuff out their chance to upset a 6 1/2-point favorite on the road. In the process, the Bears committed nine penalties of their own for 60 yards and repeatedly stumbled as a result.

Houston scored on its first three possessions as the Bears fell behind 13-3 and their defense started almost as poorly as the offense. But the defense gave up only one field goal in the second half after the Texans had their only touchdown in the second quarter on a second-and-24 throw of 28 yards to Collins by Stroud.

"It's a good player, I mean, a really good player and he got right behind our linebackers into the second part of the coverage," Eberflus said. "Again, I could have called a better call. I wasn't crazy about the (defensive) call."

A Cam Akers fumble forced by Andrew Billings and recovered by safety Kevin Byard at the Chicago 3-yard line with 6:28 remaining provided the Bears with a chance to rally but neither of their last two possessions resulted in a long drive.

The Texans had field goals of 56, 53, 47, 59 and 53 yards from kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn and their blitzing defense managed to halt every Bears drive except for a 49-yard march to Khalil Herbert's 2-yard TD run with 32 seconds left in the half.

It pulled the Bears within 13-10 but Houston rebounded with a quick 24-yard march to the 59-yard field goal, then added the 53-yarder in the fourth quarter for a 19-10 lead. The Bears were left in comeback mode.

Santos had a 54-yard fourth-quarter field goal after hitting from 53 yards in the first quarter, but the offense managed only 71 yards rushing and Williams threw two second-half interceptions.

"In terms of running, we obviously want to run the ball better than what we did," Eberflus said. "It was OK, but not good enough.

"We've got to establish the run game. I think it's always a good friend to a young quarterback when you can do that."

The Bears offense gained 57 more yards than last week and Williams threw for 81 more yards but without Keenan Allen due to a heel injury and with Rome Odunze playing on a sprained knee, the passing game lacked the punch to make up the difference.

They had one Santos field goal and two interceptions with six punts on their final nine possessions.

"When we finally connect and we're all on the same cylinder, in the same cylinder, it's going to be good," wide receiver DJ Moore said. "Right now we're building this puzzle together. Until we get that puzzle fully complete it's going to be an up-and-down road."

Twitter: BearsOnSi

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.