Tyrique Stevenson
(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Much More to Bears-Texans Clash Than Williams vs. Stroud

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterSeptember 14, 2024

Sunday Night’s game between the Bears and the Texans will undoubtedly be hyped as the first head-to-head matchup between Caleb Williams and C.J. Stroud. The two were Heisman Trophy finalists in 2022, and Stroud led the Texans — who finished with the league’s second-worst record in 2022 — to the AFC playoffs as a rookie in 2023. Williams and Stroud have been compared insufferably since Chicago selected the rookie QB from USC No. 1 overall. It’s not fair, nor is it accurate, yet here we are.

So the two gunslingers will get all the hype, and Williams will likely have another subpar game, but there are far more intriguing matchups to watch on Sunday night.

  1. Houston wide receivers Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs, and Tank Dell against Chicago cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, and Kyler Gordon. Stevenson was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week thanks to his 43-yard game-winning interception return for a touchdown in Week 1. Johnson had a more impressive game, however, also intercepting a pass while defending two passes and recording two TFLs. The Bears’ secondary on Sunday held Calvin Ridley, DeAndre Hopkins, and Tyler Boyd to a combined 76 receiving yards on seven catches. Collins, meanwhile, turned six catches into 117 yards in the Texans’ season-opening victory while Diggs snagged a pair of short touchdown passes from Stroud.
  2. Chicago’s interior linemen and linebackers against running back Joe Mixon. The Bears have one of the NFL’s best run defenses, but Mixon is a broad-shouldered, low-based back who runs with impressive power. Most of his runs on Sunday were toward the outside because he struggled to find creases between the guards. Andrew Billings and Gervon Dexter will get plenty of penetration against Kenyon Green and Laremy Tunsil. Expect Mixon to bounce to the outside where he’ll run into T.J. Edwards, Tremaine Edmunds, and Jack Sanborn. Edwards had 15 tackles on Sunday, including 10 solo efforts. That group should neutralize Mixon.
  3. Tight end Cole Kmet against SLB Henry To’oTo’o. Kmet was nearly invisible on Sunday but OC Shane Waldron insists the fifth-year tight end will play a bigger role this week. Injured receivers Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze will be game-time decisions, so Kmet and D.J. Moore will get the bulk of Williams’s targets. Chicago also activated WR Collin Johnson from the practice squad to provide depth. Kmet enters Sunday’s contest with one catch on one target for four yards. He had 73 receptions for 719 yards and six scores in 2023. To’oTo’o, a second-year linebacker from Alabama, represents a formidable challenge though he is a poor tackler. His missed-tackle rate of 16.4 percent last season should have Kmet, Williams, and Waldron champing at the bit.
  4. Teven Jenkins, Coleman Shelton, and Nate Davis against Mario Edwards Jr. and Folorunso Fatukasi. The Titans dominated Chicago’s interior line last week, and a tougher challenge lies ahead. Darnell Wright and Braxton Jones will be unable to help because they’ll have their hands full with Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter. Anderson –the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year — wins with finesse. Still, he added 16 pounds of muscle this offseason so he wouldn’t be bullied by opposing tackles. Houston’s front four is the team’s strongest group and they’re going to make things very tough for Williams. Chicago needs Jenkins, Shelton, and Davis to step up this week.

Keep an Eye on Chicago’s Injuries

Ryan Bates (elbow/shoulder) and Khari Blasingame (hand/knee) won’t play against the Texans after missing practice Thursday and Friday. That means the Bears will go with Davis at right guard after they rotated Davis and Bates in Week 1. Allen and Odunze are questionable, but the activation of Johnson means at least one may not play at all. Odunze sprained his MCL in the opener but returned to practice Friday in a limited capacity.

“Whether it’s structurally sound and whether or not you’re at risk of further injuring it, I think that’s the No. 1 question you need to answer,” Odunze said. “Then after that, it’s can you be yourself out there? Can you play through the pain? What’s the soreness going to be like the next day? Are you going to be able to weather through that? For me, it’s just that pain tolerance at this point and being able to work through what I can work through.”

An Exploitable Weakness to Watch

Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson finished with 212 passing yards against the Texans in Week 1, but nearly 160 came on downfield passes. Ashton Dulin caught a 56-yard touchdown, and Alec Pierce caught a 60-yard score with another 50-yard reception in the 4th quarter. Rookie cornerback Kari Lassiter is struggling as most first-year defensive backs do. And though Jimmie Ward and Jalen Pitre are great tacklers, both have struggled with defending the deep ball. If Odunze can play, he and Moore give Chicago a big edge if Williams can get them the ball. If Odunze sits, Chicago needs big games by Johnson, Tyler Scott, and possibly Velus Jones.

Turnovers/Sacks/Penalties/Special Teams/Field Position

The Texans have a significant edge on paper, particularly with Chicago’s injury situation. That’s why they’re 6.5 favorites at home. That said, the Bears can win this game if they stay penalty-free, pressure Stroud, win the turnover game, and keep Houston’s offense buried deep on its side of the field. Chicago has a very good defense, but the unit is elite if Dexter and Billings control the interior line. The Bears are going to need their defensive players to step up once again to win this game. Dexter and Billings are the key players this week, along with punter Tory Taylor, kicker Cairo Santos, and Chicago’s entire secondary.

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterSeptember 14, 2024
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