The Chicago Bears are looking for a bounce-back performance after last week. Aside from a tally in the win column, there weren’t that many reasons to be excited about how they played.
This week, they take on a Houston Texans team that narrowly defeated its AFC South foes on the road. As the Texans make their home debut on Sunday Night Football this week, the Bears have a lot to prove after their unsatisfying win against the Tennessee Titans.
With that in mind, which matchups between the Bears and Texans deserve a majority of the attention?
4 Matchups To Watch in Chicago Bears vs. Houston Texans
Caleb Williams vs. C.J. Stroud
Last year, C.J. Stroud had a historic rookie season, setting the benchmark high for quarterbacks entering the league. Stroud’s rookie season earned him 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors after he completed 63.9% of his passes for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and five interceptions.
Stroud’s rookie season is a point of comparison for most rookie quarterbacks now, and with the two highly talented quarterbacks facing off this week, the performance of both players will be a main point of focus in this game.
This year, Caleb Williams is the new kid on the block as he looks to become the first quarterback in Bears history to throw for over 4,000 yards in a season. Considering the start of his rookie campaign, it would require an uptick in production starting as soon as possible.
However, with the Bears’ wide receiver room banged up this week, Williams might need to do more of the heavy lifting than he did last week if he wants to outshine the quarterback on the other sideline.
Jaylon Johnson vs. Stefon Diggs
Since midway through last season, Jaylon Johnson has proven that he’s one of the top cornerbacks in the league. Since the beginning of 2023, Johnson has led the league in interceptions (5) while ranking ninth in passes defended (12).
Facing off against one of the top offseason acquisitions for Houston, Johnson will presumably be shadowing Stefon Diggs all night.
Diggs comes into this game following six receptions for 33 yards and two touchdowns, which makes this matchup even more interesting. Though he scored twice, it wasn’t the overall performance many expected from Diggs in Houston’s offense.
The Texans have one of the strongest groups of receivers in the NFL, making each matchup that much more important. However, with Diggs’ low impact on offensive yardage, the urgency to get him involved in this offense is likely growing.
Diggs has appeared to be a player who is much happier when the ball is in his hands, but matched up against Johnson this week, Diggs could be in for a disappointing night.
With plenty of talent on both sides, the Bears’ secondary vs. the Texans’ receivers will be entertaining. But as for the best battle of these particular groups, it’s Johnson vs. Diggs.
Will Anderson Jr. vs. Darnell Wright
The Bears’ offensive line is an area that causes slight concern heading into this matchup, especially after last week’s performance against Tennessee. This week, Chicago’s offensive tackles will be tested much more than the team’s interior.
Braxton Jones (LT) and Darnell Wright (RT) will have their hands full on the ends. The young tackles will be facing off against Danielle Hunter (RE) and Will Anderson Jr. (LE), both of whom present a major threat to blow up any play with their pass-rushing abilities.
MORE: Simulate the NFL Season With PFN’s Playoff Predictor
Anderson, alongside Stroud as the OROY, was voted as the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023. In 15 games last year, Anderson ranked first in nearly every metric among rookies.
- PFF Pressures: 59 (1st)
- PFF Hits: 21 (T-1st)
- PFF Hurries: 38 (T-1st)
- Sacks: 7 (4th)
- PFF Pressure %: 15.8% (1st)
This week, Anderson faces off against Chicago’s best offensive lineman, Darnell Wright.
In Week 1, Wright ranked as one of the top pass-blocking tackles in the league, posting a 94% pass-block win rate.
Sunday night’s matchup won’t be the first time these two face off, as both players come from SEC schools in college. Wright played for Tennessee, while Anderson was with Alabama.
When these two met on the field in college, Wright held Anderson to just two pressures while allowing no QB hits or sacks.
If Wright can perform like that on Sunday, Chicago’s offense could look much better than they did in Week 1.
Bears Pass Rush vs. Texans OL
The final matchup to watch this week is the Bears’ pass rush vs. the Texans’ offensive line.
Chicago’s pass rush was a major key to last week’s victory, and against a stronger opponent in Week 2, the ability to force Stroud to play out of structure will be crucial.
In Week 1, the Bears’ pass rush ranked first in the league in pass-rush win rate (71%) while earning a more modest 28% run-stop win rate.
However, the Texans have an incredibly strong passing offense, and Chicago’s ability to cause chaos in that department could be the difference in this matchup.
As was seen last week against Tennessee, if the Bears can get a good pass rush, their secondary is more likely to force a turnover. Through just one week this season, Chicago’s defense ranks eighth in the league in pressures (15), ninth in QB sack rate (8.6%), and ninth in pressures per dropback (39.5%).
On the other hand, the Texans’ offensive line allowed four sacks last week and an 11.1% QB sack rate. That ranks 28th in the NFL, making for a second straight week that Chicago’s pass rush could be the difference-maker.
With Montez Sweat getting closer to 100% after his toe injury prior to Week 1, along with the emergence of Darrell Taylor and DeMarcus Walker as viable pass-rush options, Chicago could dominate this matchup from the start.