The Chicago Bears defeated the Houston Texans 23-20 on Sunday, improving to 2-1 ahead of a Week 4 matchup against the New York Giants.
The Bears needed a clutch Roquan Smith interception and a last-second field goal in order to best the winless Texans, but the important thing is they were able to pull it out despite an abysmal outing by quarterback Justin Fields.
There was plenty to be encouraged by and plenty to be discouraged about following the victory.
We’re breaking down the Bears’ win over the Texans and what it means looking ahead.
First Down: Justin Fields' struggles spark concern
Sure, the Bears got their second win of the season. But it’s hard to feel too excited about it considering quarterback Justin Fields hasn’t been progressing the way many expected. In fact, he appears to have regressed following his rookie season. Fields completed 8-of-17 passes for 106 yards with two interceptions and a 27.7 passer rating against the Texans.
The Bears passing game has stalled, and it’s because of Fields. On Sunday, Fields looked extremely uncomfortable, where he once again held the ball too long, was uncharacteristically inaccurate and made poor decisions that led to head-scratching interceptions.
It was clear that head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy had lost confidence in Fields with some conservative play calling. That certainly didn’t help Fields’ confidence.
While the jury is still out on Fields — after all, we’re just three games into Year 2 — it’s hard not to be concerned about his development at this point. If this regression continues, you have to wonder if this new regime — with no ties to Fields — might decide to move on. But again, we’re too soon to start worrying about that. There are still 14 games left on the docket.
Second Down: Khalil Herbert's big day on the ground
Not many teams can lose their starting running back to injury in the first quarter and have their backup come in and have a career day quite like the Bears did with Khalil Herbert. After David Montgomery exited the game with a lower leg injury, Herbert picked up right where Montgomery left off a week ago against the Packers. Herbert gained 157 yards on 20 carries for an average 7.9 yards per carry with two touchdowns.
It was made all the more impressive by the mere fact that the Texans knew Chicago was hesitant to throw the ball given Fields’ shortcomings. Herbert sang the praises of his offensive line, which opened up holes in Houston’s defensive front.
The Bears offensive line has shown progress, particularly in run blocking, which has led to Chicago’s dominance on the ground. Especially considering defenses know the Bears are a run-first team given their passing woes. Chicago is currently averaging 186.7 rushing yards per game, which ranks second in the league.
Third Down: Roquan Smith comes up big for Chicago
Roquan Smith was a big question mark heading into Sunday’s game against the Texans. Thankfully, Smith was good to go after missing practice all week with a hip injury. Smith certainly found his footing in Matt Eberflus’ defense with a dominant effort against Houston, where he had a team-high 16 tackles, including two for a loss, and an interception that led to Cairo Santos’ game-winning field goal.
It’s been a rough first two games for Smith, who wasn’t exactly making the kind of plays worthy of someone who wants to be paid $20 million per year. But Smith certainly appears to have shaken off the rust and reminded everyone why he’s such an important part of this Bears defense. He came up big for Chicago multiple times, including that game-sealing interception and stuffing Texans running back Dameon Pierce at the goal line in the third quarter. The hope is Smith got his groove back.
Fourth Down: Young defense remains a work in progress
The Bears defense has received its share of criticism through the first couple of games, but it’s important to remember this is a young group that remains a work in progress. After not being able to stop the run through the first two games, Chicago’s run defense stepped up against the Texans. Houston was held to just 92 yards on the ground, which is the first time this season the Bears have held a team to under 100 rushing yards. Granted, it was against one of the worst run games. But, like Chicago, Houston gets off the bus running on offense.
With that in mind, there were some concerns with the passing defense, which was to be expected without top cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who was out with a quad injury. The Bears had a cornerback trio of Kyler Gordon, Kindle Vildor and Jaylon Jones, which wasn’t the most encouraging thing. Despite giving up some big completions, including a 52-yarder, Gordon rebounded after a brutal outing against the Packers in Week 2. Chicago’s pass rush struggled to get pressure on Davis Mills, with Justin Jones logging the team’s lone sack on Mills in the fourth quarter.
But the one thing this defense has thrived in has been its ability to take the ball away. They’ve now managed at least one takeaway in each of their first two games this season, totaling five takeaways (tied for seventh-most in the NFL). Eddie Jackson and Roquan Smith each had an interception, and there were other opportunities for takeaways against the Texans. Jackson now has two interceptions in three games.
Extra Point: The Bears are 2-1 and tied atop the NFC North
While Sunday’s win wasn’t the sort of dominating effort many were hoping for, the Bears came away with their second victory in the last three games to improve to 2-1 on the season. They’re in a three-way tie atop the NFC North with the Vikings and Packers.
While it’s been ugly, there aren’t style points with how they’re pulling out wins. This isn’t college football. Although the biggest concern remains Fields’ development, which hasn’t been encouraging through three games.
Still, Chicago has found ways to win games this season, despite bad quarterback play and a non-existent passing game. The offensive line has shown progress, the run game is thriving and the defense is forcing takeaways. Just imagine what this team can look like if Fields gets on track.
Today’s not a traditional Victory Monday, but it’s a Victory Monday nonetheless.
