The Houston Texans have one of the most exciting offenses in the league, and they caused the most excitement on Sunday night when their kicker hammered 50-yard field goals into the net.
Ultimately, Sunday night will prove to be a pretty good win for the Texans. Games like their 19-13 victory over the Chicago Bears show that they can be successful in different ways.
The Texans defense had a strong night, even though the offense wasn’t at its best. They held Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams in check, and kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn led the Texans to a pretty ugly win. The defense needed a stop in the final minute, and they did it thanks in part to their seventh sack of the night.
There won’t be many days where CJ Stroud and the offense have trouble scoring points, but the Texans have shown they can win even when they do.
Texans don’t generate much offense
The Texans’ offense consisted of long field goals by Ka’imi Fairbairn and Nico Collins for most of the night. Fairbairn made four field goals, including three from over 50 yards. Collins had a big night, including a 28-yard touchdown in the second quarter.
Otherwise, it was not an easy night for the Texans. The Bears defense played a fantastic game. They were able to pressure Stroud well and, aside from trying to keep up with Collins, were pretty strong in coverage. Joe Mixon had a great running game on the Texans’ opening drive, but he was mostly quiet on Sunday night.
And because of the Texans’ defense, it never felt like the Bears were a real threat.
Part of that is the Bears. They didn’t manage 150 yards of offense last week, despite a win over the Tennessee Titans. The Bears didn’t manage 150 yards of offense Sunday night until a long Williams run with less than six minutes left. Houston led 19-10 at the time.
Collins’ touchdown was the only one Houston scored against the Bears, and yet they seemed to have an easy win with special teams and a good defense.
Ka’imi Fairbairn has a strong evening
Fairbairn is becoming a part of the Texans’ offensive force. He made three 50-yard field goals in last week’s 29-27 win over the Indianapolis Colts. He was a key part of the Texans’ win over the Bears, making field goals from 56, 47, 59 and 53 yards. The Texans’ offense doesn’t always get stuck in opponents’ territory, but they know they have a good chance of coming out with a three-pointer when it happens.
The Texans’ defense will be key to becoming a true Super Bowl contender, and it looked good against the Bears. Chicago’s offensive line allowed far too much pressure for their rookie quarterback to be successful, but that was also due to the Texans’ talent on offense. Six different Houston defenders had at least half a sack on Williams.
The Bears still had a chance. An illegal hands to the face penalty against the Texans gave them back a crucial first down within the two-minute warning, but they couldn’t get the first down and had to punt. With 1:37 left and no timeouts, Williams had to run 80 yards for a touchdown and the win. The drive started well with a 27-yard catch by Rome Odunze, but the Texans defense was able to stop a ball. A sack by Danielle Hunter set the Bears back. On fourth-and-17, Williams threw an incomplete pass and the Bears were done for.
The Texans are coming off a 2-0 loss against two strong opponents. The win over the Bears wasn’t what you’d expect from a Texans team with so much offensive talent, but it could be a win to remember later this season. The Texans may need to win another game like this in January.
