HOUSTON — Quarterback C.J. Stroud came from the future Sunday to show Caleb Williams what’s possible.
The Texans showed the Bears what they should want to become when they grow up.
The Texans’ 19-13 win against the Bears on Sunday night was rooted in the home team boasting more explosive play-makers, nastier pass rushers and a quarterback that ranks among the best in the NFL.
The Bears’ own franchise quarterback isn’t at that level. Williams showed improvement from his Week 1 dud, but not enough, throwing two interceptions and fighting through a porous offensive line that allowed seven bone-rattling sacks. He went 23-for-37 for 174 yards, two interceptions and a 51 passer rating, which was lower than last week. A drive in the final minute stalled at the Bears’ 40.
Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick in 2023, is a year removed from posting arguably the best season ever for a rookie quarterback. Sunday night, he continued his sophomore surge, going 23-for-36 for 260 yards, one touchdown and a 94.7 passer rating.
Stroud showed glimpses of greatness in a game that felt too often like a slog. About three minutes into the second quarter, the Bears blitzed cornerback Kyler Gordon from the right slot. Stroud eyed him and rolled right and toward the sideline. On a dead run, and with Gordon in his rearview mirror, Stroud launched an 18-yard pass to star receiver Nico Collins just as the quarterback was tackled by Darrell Taylor.
He also threw an 18-yard pass to third-string tight end Cade Stover on fourth-and-one in the first quarter and a 28-yard touchdown pass to Collins on second-and-24 in the second quarter. On third-and-10, he hit Stefon Diggs for 21 yards.
With 32 seconds left in the first half and one timeout to his name, he completed two passes to set up a 59-yard Kai’imi Fairbairn field goal.
On and off the field, the Bears got to see up close the impact Stroud has had on his franchise. This season, the Texans are playing in a franchise-record six national television games. They returned “Sunday Night Football” for the first time in five years.
The plan is for the Bears’ No. 1 overall pick to provide a similar spark.
Williams didn’t look anything like a franchise-changing quarterback in the season opening win against the Titans. He looked more comfortable Sunday, trying not to speed up his dropbacks and keep his feet more aligned with his shoulders when he threw.
There were rookie mistakes — midway through the third quarter, Williams took a delay of game when the play clock expired as the Bears were coming out of a clock stoppage. He overthrew DeAndre Carter up the left sideline on third down in the third quarter. With about a minute to play in the frame, he threw his first career interception — to cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. On the next possession, he threw another — to Kamari Lassiter, after barely escaping a sack.
On the other sideline was a quarterback whose growing pains were fast-forwarded last year.
Stroud’s rookie season was so dominant, so exhilarating, that the Texans went from bottom-feeders to championship contenders. Entering Sunday night’s game, Vegas odds gave the Texans the fifth-best odds to reach the Super Bowl — behind the Chiefs, 49ers, Eagles and Bills.
The Texans leaned into the buzz this offseason when they traded a second-round pick to the Bills for Diggs, a 2024-sixth-rounder and a 2025 fifth-rounder. Diggs was coming off four-straight Pro Bowl seasons and has 9,995 receiving yards over his first nine seasons when the Texans decided to tear up his contract and give him $22.5 million on a one-year deal.
The team then traded a mere seventh-round pick to the Bengals for running back Joe Mixon, whom they gave a three-year, $27 million extension. On defense, they added edge rusher Danielle Hunter on a two-year, $49 million deal.
The Bears tried something similar, a year earlier in their own quarterback’s career, when they traded for Chargers receiver Keenan Allen, signed Eagles running back D’Andre Swift and drafted receiver Rome Odunze No. 9 overall.
The Texans already boasted Collins, maybe the best player on the field Sunday night, and Tank Dell at receiver; the Bears had receiver DJ Moore, to whom they gave a contract extension last month, and tight end Cole Kmet.
Both teams are trying their version of the same formula: to spend money on offensive play-makers so long as their quarterback is earning a mere rookie contract.
“I think everyone wants to just give their quarterback as many weapons as possible,” Bears general manager Ryan Poles said on the ESPN1000 pregame show. “To get in the groove, get in the rhythm.”
The Texans found their rhythm last year when Stroud threw for an NFL-best 273.9 yards per game and became the youngest quarterback ever to win a playoff game.
Williams isn’t likely to get there as quickly as Stroud did. No one ever has.
But Sunday gave him a close-up view of what it will look like if he can get there eventually.
But any rockiness in Williams’ development is not a license for the Bears to underachieve. The playoffs are still be a mandatory requirement for counting this season a success. Rebuilds can’t be endless.
After a tough opener against the Titans, the line struggled again in the first half against the Texans on Sunday night — and looks like it’ll be challenged to avoid being a drag on the development of rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and Shane Waldron’s offense.
The veteran receiver was made inactive 90 minutes before kickoff against the Texans.