There was nothing pretty about the Houston Texans' 13-6 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday night.
Of course, that matters little to the Texans, who moved to 8-1 with a gut-check win in a hostile environment.
This game wasn't brought home by the Texans' Big 3 on offense. The steady rain and sloppy turf grounded both attacks at Soldier Field. Conditions played a big part in the two teams combining for just 464 yards of total offense.
Instead, it was Wade Phillips' defense that took center stage. Quarterback Jay Cutler struggled to move the Bears before leaving the game with a concussion. Jason Campbell replaced him and fared no better, often settling for check-down throws that produced little.
Danieal Manning set the tone early, forcing a fumble with a bruising hit on tight end Kellen Davis in the first quarter. It was the first of four Bears turnovers in the first half. Manning had a big day against his former team, finishing with the forced fumble and an interception. He nearly had a second pick in the fourth quarter.
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Texans coach Gary Kubiak has to be thrilled about his defense, which faced legitimate questions after star linebacker Brian Cushing suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 5. The Texans will continue to miss Cushing, but the proper adjustments have been made.
There are multiple teams that can safely be considered contenders to come out of the AFC right now, but no team in the conference is as well-balanced as the Texans. As they proved in the slop on Sunday night, Houston can beat you in more ways than one.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @danhanzus.