In a defensive showdown on Sunday Night Football, the Houston Texans took home a 19-13 win over Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears. A game in which both teams only scored a combined six second half points, the Texans would effectively put things out of reach in the second quarter with a 13 point surge.
Caleb Williams Struggles Again
It was another week for the Bears offense to forget, particularly Caleb Williams. The first overall pick is yet to find the endzone through his first couple of performances.
Towards the end of the third quarter, down less than a touchdown, Williams threw a pass deep left for DJ Moore which was picked off by Derek Stingley Jr. His game did not improve in the next quarter as he threw under pressure into triple coverage where rookie Kamari Lassiter was able to haul in yet another interception.
This one again sparks the debate about playing rookie quarterbacks or letting them sit for a year or two behind savvy veterans to pick up the tricks of the trade.
Nico Collins Continues to Produce
Collins was the key piece to the Texans passing game, recording 8 catches for 135 yards (an average of 16.9!) and a touchdown.
One catch which particularly stood out was at the end of the first half. There were 13 seconds on the clock and Stroud needed to find someone to bring his squad into field goal range. Immediately he finds his target Collins running a scramble drill and throws out of a tackle to complete the 16 yard pass.
Collins has been an impressive receiver thus far. He currently sits as the league's top wide receiver in terms of yards, 52 ahead of the Bucs' Chris Godwin and the Lions' Jameson Williams, who are tied for second.
The Houston Pass Rush was Stellar
The main key to the game was the Texans’ ability to get to the quarterback. Caleb Williams was hit 11 times and took 7 sacks for 40 yards.
The edge rush duo of Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter were just as good as advertised, if not better. The pair had eerily similar games, each recording 1.5 sacks, 7 pressures, and 2 tackles for loss.
Outside of these two; however, the interior defensive line played much better than many anticipated. The group only allowed 71 rushing yards, while standout Mario Edwards was able to have both a tackle for loss and sack recorded in the game
Ka'imi Fairbairn Has Been Putting on a Clinic
Ka’imi Fairbairn continued his perfect season going 4/4 on field goals after drilling all 3 of his kicks last game against the Colts. Combine this with his 3/3 extra points, and you quite literally cannot ask for a kicker to play any better.
Texans head coach Demeco Ryans had high praises for Fairbairn saying that “(Fairbairn) is the reason why we won these two games. That’s been the player of the game”.
Final Score
Owsley's Three Texans Stars of the Game
1st Star – Ka’imi Fairbairn, (3/3 FG, 3/3 50+ FG, LONG of 59, 1/1 XP)
2nd Star – Nico Collins, (8 REC, 135 YDS, 1 TD)
3rd Star – The Houston Texans’ Defensive Line (5 SACKS, 6 TFL’s, 26 Combined Pressures)
Up Next: Houston Texans @ Minnesota Vikings, 9/22 12:00 PM CST
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