- Texans rookie receiver Will Fuller overcame a big drop to shred the Chicago Bears secondary in the second half as Houston pulled away for a 23-14 victory to open the season. Here is what you need to know:*
- The Texans employed Lamar Miller as the clear focal point of the offense in the opener. The running back earned a career-high 28 carries for 106 yards to go along with four receptions for 11 yards. Miller was the workhorse, with all other backs earning a combined three carries. After years of being underutilized in Miami, Miller is finally a workhorse.
- Rookie receiver Will Fuller dropped a bomb at the end of the first half that should have been a long touchdown. In the second half, the speedster was uncoverable. The Notre Dame product made tough catches in space, took a WR screen for a winding TD scamper and made an acrobatic deep sideline snatch. Fuller is a perfect complement to DeAndre Hopkins. You'll get some drops with Fuller, but the rook more than makes up for it.
- Brock Osweiler looked like a quarterback who has only started seven games before Sunday. You can see the arm talent. He makes some dynamic throws -- including the beautiful deep pass to Fuller -- but too often stares down his first read. Osweiler gets rattled by the rush, panics and often forces passes, especially to Hopkins. Nuk bailed him out several times Sunday.
- Alshon Jeffery is the Bears offense. The wideout destroyed the Texans secondary in the first half with deep passes from Jay Cutler. Jeffery went for 105 yards on four catches in the first half, but like the rest of the Bears offense was shut out in the second. Kevin White is still working his way into the offense after missing his entire rookie season. The White-Cutler combo was off kilter on a miscommunication that turned into an interception and unproductive until garbage time
- We shouldn't be surprised that J.J. Watt wasn't dominant in his first action after an offseason of surgeries. The DPOY got no pressure in the first half. The Texans' entire pass rush picked it up in the second half, but Watt did not earn one of Houston's five sacks (four in the second half). Whitney Mercilus was the team's best pass rusher this week. We aren't worried about Watt. He'll be dominant in short order.
- Jeremy Langford is the Bears' clear workhorse, but his inefficiency from last season carried over. The Bears O-line was decent in pass protection early, but didn't open up holes in the ground game, and Langford doesn't break tackles. The back ended with 3.4 yards per carry on 17 totes.
- The Texans' D suffered a blow after linebacker Brian Cushing left on the first series of the season. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reports the injury-plagued defender is expected to miss six weeks with a torn MCL. Cushing won't have surgery.
