Friday, October 4, 2024
8.6 C
London

Texans offense struggles against Bears, but defense comes through for the win

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is grabbed by Houston Texans defensive end Danielle Hunter. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

The Houston Texans have one of the more exciting offenses in the league. On Sunday night, the most excitement they could generate was watching their kicker hammer 50-yard field goals into the net.

Ultimately, Sunday night will turn out to be a pretty good win for the Texans. Games like their 19-13 win over the Chicago Bears show they can succeed in different ways.

The Texans defense had a big night on a night that the offense wasn’t at its best. They held Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams to very little and kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn carried the Texans to a fairly ugly victory. The defense needed to make one stop in the final minute, and they did so thanks in part to their seventh sack of the night.

There won’t be many days in which C.J. Stroud and the offense struggle to put up points. But the Texans showed that they can win even if that’s the case.

The Texans’ offense for most of the night was long field goals by Ka’imi Fairbairn and Nico Collins. Fairbairn made four field goals, including three from longer than 50 yards. Collins had a big night, including a 28-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

Otherwise, it was not an easy night for the Texans. The Bears defense played a fantastic game. They did a good job pressuring Stroud, and other than trying to keep up with Collins they were pretty strong in coverage. In the Texans’ opener Joe Mixon had a huge game on the ground, but he was mostly quiet on Sunday night.

And because of the Texans’ defense, it never felt like the Bears were that much of a threat.

Some of that is the Bears. They didn’t pass 150 yards of offense last week though they got a win over the Tennessee Titans. The Bears didn’t pass 150 yards of offense on Sunday night until a long Williams scramble with less than six minutes left. Houston led 19-10 at that point.

Collins’ touchdown was the only one Houston got against the Bears. And yet they seemed comfortable grinding out a win with special teams and defense.

Fairbairn is becoming a part of the Texans’ offensive firepower. He had three 50-yard field goals in last week’s 29-27 win over the Indianapolis Colts. He was a huge part of the Texans win over the Bears. His field goals came from 56. 47, 59 and 53 yards. The Texans’ offense won’t always stall in opposing territory, but they know they have a good shot of coming out of it with three points when it happens.

The Texans’ defense will be the key to them becoming a true Super Bowl contender and it looked good against the Bears. Chicago’s offensive line allowed way too much pressure for its rookie quarterback to succeed, but that was also due to the Texans’ talent up front. Six different Houston defenders had at least a half of a sack against Williams.

The Bears had one more shot. An illegal hands to the face penalty on the Texans brought back what would have been a huge first down inside of the two-minute warning, and they couldn’t pick up the first down and had to punt. With 1:37 left and no timeouts, Williams had to drive 80 yards for a touchdown and the win. The drive got off to a good start with a 27-yard catch by Rome Odunze, but the Texans defense came through with a stop. A sack by Danielle Hunter set the Bears back. On fourth-and-17, Williams threw incomplete and the Bears were finished.

The Texans are 2-0 against two solid opponents. The win over the Bears wasn’t what you’d envision from a Texans team that has so much offensive talent, but it might be a win to remember later this season. The Texans might need to win a game like that again in January.

Source link

Hot this week

Two suspected drug dealers arrested in Margate

Two people have been arrested on suspicion of...

138 million dirhams in Emirati education profits in 12 months

She said Education Holding In a statement on...

Solanke back in England squad seven years after only cap

Tottenham Hotspur striker Dominic Solanke has been named...

Why does Israel insist on a ground incursion into Lebanon?

The Israeli mini-government had officially agreed to a...

Topics

Two suspected drug dealers arrested in Margate

Two people have been arrested on suspicion of...

138 million dirhams in Emirati education profits in 12 months

She said Education Holding In a statement on...

Solanke back in England squad seven years after only cap

Tottenham Hotspur striker Dominic Solanke has been named...

Why does Israel insist on a ground incursion into Lebanon?

The Israeli mini-government had officially agreed to a...

Simply Delicious: Green Beans with Almond Butter Sauce

Follow along with Susan Hay and nutritionist Rose...

October 4, Janis Joplin found dead

Today is Friday, Oct. 4, the 278th day of...

Mastering innovation, transparency and trader empowerment

By Marios Chailis, CMO Libertex Group What distinguishes a...
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

spot_imgspot_img