This game was a microcosm of the entire season.  The Bears came out fired up and scored early, but were unable to protect the lead, letting up 21 unanswered points as they failed to protect their lead and failed to finish the ballgame.  Does that sound like a common theme?  See Caroline, Tampa and Atlanta games in case there is any confusion about not finishing.

The Bears felt the loss of Mike Brown, as the Texans exploited the Bears’ secondary throughout the game.   Andre

Andre Johnson dominated the Bears in Houston's 31-24 victory

Johnson went into the locker room with over 100 receiving yards and 2 TD’s.  At the half.   Any time the defense wants to stop him, please feel free.  He is wearing shirt #80.

Despite all the missteps, the Bears managed to hold the Texans to a short field goal early in the fourth quarter to keep it a 7 point game.  After a questionable no-call on what appeared to be pass interference on Brandon Lloyd, Brad Maynard boomed yet another punt inside the 20, down to the 11 yard line.  And here is where the season effectively ended, my friends.  When it mattered most, the once-vaunted Bears defense let Houston march 89 yards in over six minutes, capped off by a 2-yard Steve Slaton touchdown.  Bears down 2 scores and the season is on life support.

The Bears were able to run an effective 2-minute offense with a Kyle Orton QB-sneak bringing the Bears back to within one score.  Now it was up to Robbie Gould to kick an onside kick for the Bears to have a chance.  He hit the equivalent of a Derek Lee ground ball to the shortstop that Chicago native Kevin Walter easily covered.  And despite all of that, the Bears still had one last gasp.  Hold the Texans to a 3 and out and maybe, just maybe, you get a miraculous punt return or a Hail Mary.  Instead, Tommie Harris, who made over $10 million in bonuses this year, jumped offsides to give Houston a 1st and 5.  Five yards and a couple of kneel-downs later and the season went up in smoke.

I’ll have a lot more to discuss as I get a chance to digest the season.   Throughout the next week, I’ll take a closer look at the offense, defense, special teams and coaching as we head into the offseason.

BEAR DOWN!!!

After all that the Bears have been through the last couple of weeks, needing consecutive OT wins and getting some help along the way, you might think a win over the Houston Texans would be a foregone conclusion.  That is not the case, my friends.   This is not the Texans team of old; Houston is definitely a team on the rise.  While they are not in the playoff hunt, they can tie a franchise best 8 wins for the second straight season.  They boast a solid 5-2 home record this season, with the losses coming at the hands of Indianapolis and Baltimore, both Wild Card representatives in the AFC heading into the final week of the season.

The Texans offense ranks 3rd in the league, averaging over 377 yards per game.  They feature a rookie runner of their own in Steve Slaton, who comes into Week 17 with a Texans’ record 1190 yards and a 4.8 yards per carry average.   They add a dimension to their offense that the Bears are not very familiar with: a passing game.  Andre Johnson is an absolute beast with 105 catches and a league-leading 1427 yards, while Kevin Walter leads the team with 8 TD catches.  Matt Schaub has done a good job holding on to the ball recently, only committing 3 turnovers since his return from injury.

On the other side of the ball, the Texans rank 25th against the run, so hopefully Ron Turner has a steady diet of Matt Forte in the offensive game plan this week.  Mario Williams is clearly the pass rusher to watch, leading the Texans in sacks, while linebacker DeMeco Ryans leads the team with 102 tackles.   The Texan defense has been a bit streaky this year, holding the Titans to 13 points in a victory two weeks ago, while letting up 27 points in their loss last week to the lowly Raiders.

The Texans head in Sunday’s contest as a 2.5 point favorite.  The Houston Chronicle picks the Bears to pull off the upset and come out of Reliant Stadium with a 24-20 victory.  If they are to do that, the Bears will slow down Andre Johnson, feature a steady dose of Matt Forte and the Special Teams will continue to be special.  Fasten your seat belts Bears fans, it should be an interesting Week 17!

BEAR DOWN!!!