Bears quarterback Caleb Williams leaps over Houston safety Jalen Pitre during Sunday’s game.
AP
The Chicago Bears defense did its job Sunday night. And that was about the only thing that went right for head coach Matt Eberflus’ team.
Caleb Williams and the Bears offense failed to hold up its end of the bargain in a matchup against CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans. A mixture of penalties, miscues and rookie quarterback struggles proved to be too much to overcome for the Bears.
The Texans defeated the Bears, 19-13, at NRG Stadium in Houston on “Sunday Night Football.”
This game was billed as a matchup between last year’s NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in Stroud and a No. 1 overall draft pick in Williams who has hopes of catapulting his team as Stroud did for the Texans a year ago. On Sunday night, it was pretty clear who the better quarterback was, and it was pretty clear who the better team was.
The Bears defense largely held Stroud and the Texans in check. Stroud connected with star receiver Nico Collins for a 28-yard touchdown in the first quarter, but the Texans didn’t find the end zone again the entire evening.
The Texans scored 13 points on their first three possessions, then went quiet.
On the other side of the ball, the Bears’ offensive line kept drawing flag after flag. When the offense did run a clean play, the first down plays often sent the offense backward. The Bears started the second half with three consecutive punts and two interceptions from Williams.
The second interception, early in the fourth quarter, was pretty emblematic of life with a talented rookie quarterback. Williams spun and escaped a sure sack from Houston defensive end Danielle Hunter. Hunter had a fist full of Williams’ jersey, but couldn’t bring the rookie down.
After escaping the pressure — something he did so well in college and throughout training camp — Williams lofted a pass intended for tight end Cole Kmet. Kmet had a step on the nearest defender, but Williams’ under threw the football.
It landed in the arms of Houston cornerback Kamari Lassiter.
Williams showed one of the traits that have the Bears so excited about his game. His ability to escape pressure is evident. The problem right now seems to be that he’s facing a lot of pressure.
The Texans sacked Williams seven times in Sunday’s game. Much like last week in the opener against Tennessee, the offensive line proved to be a major weak spot for this team. The Bears were penalized for false starts four times. The team racked up nine total penalties for 60 yards.
The issues were everywhere on the offensive line. The Bears tackles had a tough challenge against Hunter and defensive end Will Anderson. The interior of the O-line struggled to get a push. The Bears finished the game with 71 rushing yards and 205 total yards.
It added up to a tough time for the rookie quarterback.
Trailing by six points, the Bears had one last-ditch effort to try and even the score with a touchdown. Williams connected with Rome Odunze for a big gain to draw the offense to midfield. Then Hunter came flying in for another sack at a pivotal time. A few plays later, Williams threw an incompletion on fourth down to seal the deal.
Williams was partly to blame for the lack of offensive production, but he also didn’t have much help from his front line. The rookie finished his night 23-for-37 passing for 174 yards with two interceptions.
Stroud and the Texans are off to a 2-0 start and look every bit like the team that reached the AFC divisional round of the playoffs last season. If Williams is going to have a Stroud-like rookie season, he and the Bears have a long way to go.