Three Takeaways from Bears loss to Texans |
In a highly anticipated matchup for week two, the Chicago Bears were going to find out a lot about their team when they faced off with the Houston Texans. For the most part, the defense continued to play well. Despite being on the field about 10 minutes more than the Texans' defense, they allowed just 19 points and kept Chicago in the game.
The offense, on the other hand, was a problem, especially the offensive line, as the Texans had Caleb Williams under duress all game. Sure, Williams showed a lot of improvement as a passer from week one to week two, but with two interceptions and seven sacks, there is still a ton of work that needs to be done. All that thrown together left the Bears heading home with a 19-13 loss as they prepare for Week 3. Here are some takeaways from the loss:
After somehow picking up a win in week one despite putting up fewer than 160 yards, all of the attention was on the Bears offense this week, and rightfully so. As good as this defense has been, there is no way Chicago can expect to put up less than 200 yards consistently and still remain competitive in games. You saw some of the improvements on Sunday, with Williams throwing for close to 180 yards, but this offense still struggled to run the ball and finished with less than 250 yards against the Texans. Everyone knew with a new offensive coordinator that there would be some struggles, but many fans didn't expect these kinds of struggles. It's like Justin Fields was still here, as Williams's passing game isn't where the Bears expected it to be right now. Right now, it is about patience, as the Bears' offense will take some time to get this right and start looking like the team they expect to be. 🚨WILD: JUSTIN FIELDS & CALEB WILLIAMS HAD THE SAME REACTION ON THE BENCH.
Where have you heard that before? After numerous seasons of the Bears having one of the worst offensive lines in the game, GM Ryan Poles made it a point to address that side of the ball the past few seasons. Whether through the draft or even free agency, Poles has done a great job rebuilding the offensive line, but you would never have guessed it last night. Not only have the Bears struggled to run the ball in the Shane Waldron system thus far, but that was one of the strengths of this team the past two seasons, as they were great in run blocking but not so great in pass blocking. With Williams as the quarterback, the Bears know they need to be more consistent in pass blocking, and they did a decent job in week one, minus a few plays. Week two was a vastly different story, as the Bears offensive line was eaten alive from start to finish. Not only did the constant pressure force Williams into two interceptions, but he was under duress all night as the Texans came away with seven sacks and several other hits in the pocket. Taking sacks is one thing, but some of the hits Williams took were massive, as there were times throughout the game when it didn't look like he would get up. That shows you this kid's overall toughness, as he isn't afraid to take a hit when he knows it's coming. The problem with that is that the more hits he takes, the more likely it becomes that he will get hurt at some point this season. This is the Bears' franchise guy, and they need to keep him upright and not let him eat the turf like we saw last night. This was honestly Darnell Wrights first bad game to my knowledge.
There were many storylines heading into last night's game, but none was more significant than the Williams vs. Stroud matchup. These two quarterbacks have been linked since college, with Stroud being drafted No. 2 in 2023 and Williams No. 1 this season. Expected to be the first of what should be several meetings between the two, Stroud took game one and looked impressive doing so as he threw for 260 yards and a score. It's not just the numbers that looked good, but the way Stroud played stood as he understands how to escape pressure and throws about as good on the run as he does in the pocket. The way he played last night is how the Bears hope Williams can play, as both QBs offer similar skill sets. Stroud figured out the NFL game quickly, while Williams, like most other rookies, could take a bit to settle in. Either way, Stroud is living proof of how quickly a franchise can change when you find a QB, and the Bears are hoping the same can happen for them with Williams. The offense is a work in progress
Being a quarterback for the Chicago #Bears is not easy…
pic.twitter.com/zOVFOpSQlUOffensive line is a liability
He looked tired, confused, and like he didn’t want to play.
Need a big bounce back game against the Colts pic.twitter.com/53Qq7g9KZNCJ Stroud is what the Bears hope Williams can become
