Bear Digest

Biggest Bears Problems Matching Up with the Houston Texans

Analysis: C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans have as explosive an offense as the Bears will see all year but also present defensive problems for Caleb Williams in the pass rush.

Gene Chamberlain

Danielle Hunter revisits an often-repeated scenario in preseason, as he pressures Justin Fields with both on different teams.
Danielle Hunter revisits an often-repeated scenario in preseason, as he pressures Justin Fields with both on different teams. / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
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The Bears face the team that started it all for them Sunday night in Houston.

Of course, it was Love Smith's Houston Texans who delivered the miracle win over Indianapolis to give the Bears a chance to draft Caleb Williams. It triggered the chance for GM Ryan Poles to then trade that pick for what turned out to be the first pick in 2024, in addition to numerous picks in the drafts of 2023, 2024 and 2025 including tackle Darnell Wright.

In the meantime, the Texans definitely haven't done a poor job of building something themselves. In fact, it's easy to argue Texans GM Nick Caserio rebuilt better and faster than Bears GM Ryan Poles has done.

The Texans arrived last year because they took C.J. Stroud in 2023 and because he supplied numerous new players to reverse their fortunes. And he didn't need to trade away the first pick overall for a ton of selections to do it.

The Bears will face a playoff team Sunday night on the road, and it's easy to question whether they're ready for this on offense after seeing how Caleb Williams, the offensive line and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron performed in Week 1.

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Here are the Texans who can do the most damage to the Bears.

QB C.J. Stroud

As good as the Bears played on defense Sunday, they never would have won if Will Levis hadn't seemed determined to give away the game. Stroud isn't going to panic and make completely silly mistakes, as he proved last year and at Ohio State. Stroud not only has an accurate arm, but knows when and where to use it. He has only five career interceptions and this is unlike rookie QBs.

RB Joe Mixon

At age 28 and in his eighth season, Mixon seemed born again last week as the Texans leaned on the running game and he piled up an NFL high 159 yards rushing. It let them own the ball for 40 minutes as they built a 29-20 lead and then held off the Colts. At 220 pounds, he's big enough to run through tackles and also makes them miss. The Bears can't got through an extended time allowing chunk yardage to the running game like they did in the first half last week because the halftime adjustments they made to stop Tony Pollard's running might not work against a more successful offensive line like the Texans have.

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WR Tank Dell

Dell can be an ideal weapon against the Bears pass defense. Limited to three catches last week in Indianapolis, the 5-foot-10, 165-pound receiver is the type of player who can be used underneath the Bears coverage umbrella for catch and run after the defensive players have dropped to their landmarks. His elusiveness can lead to big yardage on plays when they can't rally to the ball fast enough because they're back protecting zones.

WR Stefon Diggs

The new Texans receiver had his hands on the ball six times but for only 33 yards last week while the running game carried the load. Diggs' ability on slants and posts are real weapons the cover-2 can't defend as well. In the past, the Bears would have put Jaylon Johnson on him but there are too many weapons facing the Bears for this to work.

WR Nico Collins

He'll threaten the cover-2 along the sidelines more deeper and last week averaged 19.5 yards per catch in a 117-yard effort, proving that you can shut down one or two of their big three but one of them should be able to be open to burn the coverage. Bears safeties will need to be in position this week to make the donut hole in the zone coverage smaller.

DE Danielle Hunter

Hunter owned the Bears in the last two years and that was with a more mobile QB and threat to run the ball in Justin Fields. Caleb Williams is going to be there for him to sack unless he's protected better. Hunter had 4 1/2 sacks, 24 tackles and six tackles for losses against the Bears for the Vikings in the last four games in 2022 and 2023.

DE Will Anderson

The second-year pass rusher is their speed guy off the edge and had a quiet Week 1 but made seven sacks last year as a rookie. In theory, he should be an ideal complement to Hunter. He's going against his nemesis in this one as Darnell Wright had his number at Alabama. But the Texans can always flip the ends and put his speed up against Braxton Jones. Hunter was more effective for the Vikings against the Bears when he came off the left side of the defensive line, so don't be surprised if they do make this flip.

CB Derek Stingley

The Texans' lockdown cornerback didn't have a good week according to PFF grades, but his Sportradar passer rating against of 56.8 was not indicative of a bad game. Last year he had a spectacular 41.3 passer rating against, better than even Jaylon Johnson's, and a 47.9% completion percentage allowed. The Colts managed to complete four out of eight attempts on him but for only 25 yards. It's safe to say he has the potential to take away DJ Moore or Keenan Allen from the offense depending on where he lines up.

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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.