The Chicago Bears are on the road Sunday night to face the Houston Texans on Sunday Night Football. After narrowly escaping their home debut just a week ago, many questions remain surrounding the Bears, their new offensive pieces, and their ability to take down one of the league's premier young quarterbacks, C.J. Stroud.
Still, any team can win any given Sunday, and that does not just include the noon slate, but the Bears will have to accomplish these four keys to success if they look to improve their record to 2-0:
1) Find a Rhythm in the Rushing Attack
Last week, the Chicago Bears offense struggled mightily, failing to find the endzone outside of a fourth-quarter two-point conversion. However, as much as the national media wants to pin the struggles solely on the shoulders of a 22-year-old quarterback, much of the blame can be put on the inconsistencies in the rushing attack. Granted, the Titans have a formidable defensive front, but the Bears will have to be more productive on the ground in Houston to earn a win.
Against the Titans, lead back D'Andre Swift recorded just 10 touches on offense. If the Bears want to complement their young passing attack with a more dominant ground force, they will have to get Swift involved early and often. With a strong rushing attack, the defense will have no choice but to pack the box, leaving Caleb Williams with better looks in the passing game against simpler coverage schemes.
If the Bears do not want to completely change their offensive identity by becoming a run-first unit, involving Swift and other rushers in the quick pass and screen games would help the rushers find their rhythm with the ball in their hand. This would be especially helpful considering that receivers Rome Odunze and Keenan Allen are listed as questionable for Sunday night, so the running back room may have to pull more than their weight in Houston.