Only one NFL team generated more total offense than Houston’s 417 yards last week, yet Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud said after the game they’re just getting started and still shaking off rust.
Chicago, meanwhile, posted three takeaways and returned an interception for a touchdown in a 24-17 win over Tennessee. The Bears’ secondary against Stroud, Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins is a popcorn-worthy matchup this week on Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC).
Stroud was 7-2 at home in 2023, including the postseason. In nine career home starts, he has 2,760 passing yards (306.7 per game) and 20 touchdown passes with a 112.5 passer rating.
The 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year, Stroud squares off against Chicago rookie Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall selection in the draft. Barring Super Bowls or other unforeseen circumstances, they won’t meet again until 2028 in Chicago.
The Bears are hoping Caleb Williams and the offense as a whole can show a transformation from their Week 1 performance against the Tennessee Titans. However, Williams could be without two of his top targets. Veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen (heel) missed practice all week and is questionable to play. Rookie wideout Rome Odunze (knee) missed practice Wednesday and Thursday before returning as limited on Friday. He’s also questionable to play.
So look for Chicago to again lean on its defense, which will be challenged by the Texans’ offensive weapons. Collins is a 6-foot-4 threat with speed and route-running ability, coming off a breakout year. Last week in the win at Indianapolis, Collins reached a top speed of 21.89 mph — fastest among all ball-carriers in Week 1 — on his 55-yard reception.
Chicago could slow down Collins and Houston’s explosive offense with another solid pass rush. Last year, the Bears had a pass-rush win rate of 36 percent (defenders were able to beat their blocks within 2.5 seconds after the snap), but last week the Bears led the league in that category at 71 percent. Stroud’s offensive line allowed four sacks and 10 quarterback hits against the Colts. Look for the Bears to try to exploit that on Sunday night.
When the Bears have the ball, Williams looks to build off his Week 1 performance, which wasn’t ideal.
“The NFL is hard. The defense is going to make it tough on you. That’s what they are going to do week in and week out,” Williams said Wednesday.
“Having an understanding of those two things is very important to keep growing and progressing, and to not lose faith in, whether it’s the play, the team, yourself, the offense, whatever the case may be. You keep that confidence and understand that we obviously didn’t play as well as we wanted to, but we came out with a 24-17 win.”
Those sentiments are great but this Bears offense will need to work overtime to protect its young QB. Houston will focus on bringing pressure with Will Anderson, the reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, and four-time Pro Bowler Danielle Hunter.