2024
·
1-0-0
2024
·
1-0-0
- WHERE: NRG Stadium | Houston
- WHEN: 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC, Universo, NFL+
Caleb Williams will look to bounce back after a rough start as the Bears travel down to Houston. C.J. Stroud and his leveled-up weapons will face a tougher test with a Chicago defense that carried it to a victory in Week 1.
Here are three things to watch for when the Bears face off against the Texans in Houston:
- Welcome to the NFL. Caleb Williams as a prospect was lauded for his ability to extend plays and create explosives out of nothing during his time in college. These out-of-structure plays are harder to translate to the NFL, where pass rushers are faster and coverage units are more disciplined. In Week 1 against the Titans, Williams struggled when holding onto the ball for more than 2.5 seconds, completing just three of 13 passes. That translated to the lowest completion percentage on passes taking over 2.5 seconds in Week 1 (23.1%). On five extended dropbacks (4+ seconds), Williams was sacked twice and failed to complete his three pass attempts.
- C.J. Stroud standing strong. The reigning AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year has excelled operating in messy pockets during his young career. Stroud has averaged 8.4 yards per attempt from inside the tackle box when under pressure since entering the league in 2023, good for second-most in the NFL. This continued in Week 1, when Stroud completed six of eight pressured passes from inside the tackle box for 90 yards, including his 55-yard bomb to Nico Collins from a collapsing pocket. The Bears' pass rush has shown a marked improvement since trading for Montez Sweat last season and started the 2024 season with a strong performance. Darrell Taylor, Andrew Billings and Demarcus Walker each generated five pressures, leading the Bears to the second-highest pressure rate of Week 1 (47.4%).
- Texans' WR trio vs. Bears' secondary. Two of the best units in the NFL will face off on Sunday night. After leading the NFL in receiving yards over expected last season (+399), Nico Collins hit the ground running in Week 1, catching six of eight targets for 117 yards (+64 over expected). Stefon Diggs settled into his new role in Houston by working the underneath areas. All six of his targets came under 10 air yards, as he averaged his fewest air yards per target of any game since 2016 (1.6). The Bears align their corners by field and boundary, with Jaylon Johnson operating in the field and Tyrique Stevenson aligning primarily to the boundary. Johnson put on a top notch performance in Week 1, forcing a tight window on both of his targets and coming away with an interception without allowing a completion.
