What we learned from Bears-Texans: Chicago's O-line woes, Stroud's steady hand and more

By Kevin Fishbein, Adam Johns, Mike Jones and Lauren Merola

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams threw his first (and second) NFL career interception against the Houston Texans — and behind a shaky Chicago offensive line — Sunday night at NRG Stadium.

It was the same heroic Bears defensive effort as in Week 1, but the offense couldn't come up with yards or points on the final drive to pull out the win.

After a scoreless stalemate between the teams in the third quarter, the Texans and Bears traded a pair of field goals, with Chicago cutting the lead to 19-13 with less than three minutes to play in the fourth. The Texans failed to put any points on the board on the next drive, giving the ball back to the Bears with 1 1/2 minutes left in regulation. But Chicago had no magic tricks in the bag and officially fell to 1-1 after Williams failed to connect with Rom Odunge on fourth-and-17.

Postgame, Texans QB C.J. Stroud said he thought Williams' performance “will only get better with time.”

“I just told (Williams postgame) that whatever got you here will take care of you in the long run,” Stroud said. “Don't put your head down. Don't let the tough times get you down. It's not going to be easy. You're picked at No. 1 and for a reason. I wish him well.”

With the win, the Texans became the ninth 2-0 team in the NFL. The rest of the Texans' division, the AFC South, is 0-2.

Stroud is the blueprint for a young QB

Stroud may not have lit up the scoreboard with a bunch of touchdown passes, but he showed again why he ranks among the best young quarterbacks in the league and one of the most skilled passers regardless of experience level.

He finished 23-for-36 with 260 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions while recording a 94.7 passer rating. Bobby Slovic's use of his young quarterback and the way he supports him will serve as a blueprint for the Bears and other teams with young quarterbacks.

A elite throw from CJ7️⃣ runs ‼️

📺: @SNFonNBC pic.twitter.com/tiuHx3rOKu

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) September 16, 2024

A good run-pass ratio on Houston's best drives, misdirection plays, end-arounds and quick passes both help get the ball out of Stroud's hands quickly to beat the rush and help him settle into a rhythm. Slovic's counterpart, Shane Waldron, is also a branch of the Shanahan coaching tree who coached under Sean McVay, but it would be good to study Houston's approach to backing up Williams, who runs an offense that does little to stop a run game or defense. -Balance. – Mike Jones, National NFL Writer

The Texans' defense stifled Williams

Speaking of Williams, give the Texans defense credit for never letting the top rookie get comfortable. Williams looked good on the opening possession of the game as he completed 5 of 5 pass attempts for 55 yards. But the Texans adjusted and kept a steady stream of pressure on Williams, who appeared to press more and more as the game wore on and was guilty of trying to do too much.

Williams is clearly still adjusting to the pace of the game. He looked frantic as the Bears' defenders swarmed, and when under pressure, he often tried to escape and extend plays the same way he did at USC. But the problem is, defenders in the NFL are much faster and more disciplined, and Williams often finds linebackers and linemen hitting on him.

With the Bears running a largely one-dimensional offense, the Texans defenders were able to pin their ears and get behind the rookie. They sacked Williams seven times, hit him plenty of extra times and picked him off twice.

The Texans' complimentary brand of football paved the way for an impressive victory. – Jones

The offensive line is a serious problem for the Bears

The biggest concern coming into the season for the Bears, the offensive line, proved to be a serious problem. Williams was sacked all night, sacked seven times and hit 11 times.

how about another @HoustonTexans sack 😤

📺: #CHIVSHOU on NBC/Peacock
📱: Turn on the stream #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/iQ09zqRzTp

— NFL (@NFL) September 16, 2024

Right tackle Darnell Wright, who held his own for most of the night (barring some inexcusable false starts), lost his rep when it mattered most, allowing a sack to Daniel Hunter on the Bears' final drive. But the interior tends to be the real problem, as the gut pressure comes throughout the game. Putting Ryan Bates on injured reserve would be a real loss, as he would have started at right guard had he been healthy.

The Bears are forced to dial up the pass quickly. No time for anything deep. There is no room to run back. It's a familiar Chicago story and there's no quick fix. – Kevin Fishbein, author of Bear's Beat

A day of growing pains for Williams

The Bears defense gave Williams a chance to be the hero Sunday night. He got the ball at his own 20 with 1:37 left. A touchdown and an extra point would win the game for the Bears. However, the team is not ready for such a moment.

After a pass to rookie receiver Odunge for a 27-yard gain, tight end Gerald Everett dropped a pass and then Williams was sacked on second down. He scrambled for a 1-yard gain on third-and-18. A final heave to Odunge on fourth down was missed. This time there was no comeback for the Bears.

Williams will get more opportunities. Instead, Sunday was full of growing pains for him. His offensive line struggled and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron's play-calling was again questionable. – Adam Johns, Bears beat writer

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(Photo: Alex Schlitz/Getty Images)