Bears at Texans: Highlights, score and recap
A few newcomers to the Lone Star State paved the way for the Houston Texans 23-14 victory over the Chicago Bears.
10. 14. 57. Final. 23
The Houston Texans picked up where they left off a year ago in the regular season. And that may be very bad news for the rest of the AFC South.
After watching the gutsy Chicago Bears take a 14-10 lead after 30 minutes, Bill O’Brien’s club pitched a shutout in the second half and opened the season with a hard-earned 23-14 win.
Houston’s defense limited the visitors from the Windy City to 258 total yards, sacked quarterback Jay Cutler five times (twice by outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus), picked off one of his throws, and forced him to fumble twice.
Led by free-agent pickup Lamar Miller, the Texans played ball control and watched new quarterback Brock Osweiler settle in after a shaky start. The former Denver Broncos signal-caller overcame an early interception hit on 22-of-35 throws for 231 yards and a pair of scores to DeAndre Hopkins and rookie Will Fuller, respectively.
Meanwhile, it was Miller’s 28 rushing attempts (for 106 yards) that helped O’Brien and company control the football for 36:19 of the contest. Osweiler ran an attack that rolled up 346 yards and was a very-efficient 12-of-20 (60 percent) on third-down conversions.
For Houston, it was the team’s eighth victory in its last 10 regular-season outings dating back to last season, this after the team opened 2015 at 2-5. It’s safe to say that they’re revamped offense got the job done.
Highlights
Bears get on the board first…
Bears vs. Texans https://t.co/loeNgR7aFa #bears
— Bears News (@NewsBears) September 11, 2016
Houston finally finds the end zone…
Deandre Hopkins 23 yard TD from Brock Osweiler. https://t.co/G9kLiOmio2
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 11, 2016
Bears regain the lead just before halftime…
Texans take the lead…
Rookie Will Fuller with his first TD!https://t.co/yFt4a1p97h
— uSTADIUM App (@uSTADIUM) September 11, 2016
Rookie Will Fuller with his first TD!
Three Stars
1. Will Fuller
The team’s first-round pick in April made his presence felt in the second half. Limited to one catch for seven yards in the first 30 minutes, the former Golden Domer hauled in four passes for 100 yards after intermission – including an 18-yard score in the fourth quarter to give his team the lead for good.
2. Lamar Miller
We knew that the former Miami Dolphins runner would be busy this season and we got an idea of just how much head coach Bill O’Brien will utilize the four-year pro. Miller totaled 28 carries for 106 yards on the ground and added four receptions for 11 yards in the team’s nine-point victory. The Texans ran 72 offensive plays and the free-agent pickup totaled a combined 32 touches.
Yes, Houston’s ground attack rolled up 131 yards on 35 attempts. But it could have been a lot worse if not for the newcomer from the Indianapolis Colts. The new Bears’ inside linebacker totaled a combined 17 tackles (9 solo) in the losing effort.
Odds
The Houston Texans were 4.5-point favorites on Sunday and rallied in the second half to cover the number.
must read: NFL Epic Season Preview
Next Week
The Chicago Bears host the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football. The Houston Texans are home once again, this time against the Kansas City Chiefs in a playoff rematch from last season.