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.
2) Stay Solid in the Middle of the Offensive Line
The Bears' offensive line has been perhaps the main storyline (outside of the quarterback position) for the past several seasons, and this year appears to be no different. With Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright manning the tackle positions, much of the concern relates to the Bears' offensive interior, which will already face personnel changes heading into week two.
With Ryan Bates moving to the injured reserve, Teven Jenkins, Coleman Shelton, and Nate Davis will be called upon to man the middle of the line for the entire game with few reliable backups waiting in the flanks. Last Sunday, this group had their hands full with a talented Titans' interior defensive line that includes Jeffery Simmons, T'Vondre Sweat, and Sebastian Joseph-Day. The Texans' defensive tackles are not quite on the level of Tennessee's group, meaning the Bears' interior has a good opportunity to perform well through 60 minutes.
If the guards and center can keep Caleb Williams clean, the passing attack should find more success than a week ago. Additionally, Williams' problem with getting passes tipped at the line of scrimmage may be partially alleviated by a more dominant performance from the line, and the rushing attack would obviously be another beneficiary of a marked improvement. All in all, the Bears' middle three linemen could have a significant outcome on the final score, and consistent play across the unit is essential to the team's success.
3) Generate Pressure with 4 Rushers
The Bears' defense stole the show in the team's first outing of the year, finishing the game with a go-ahead pick-six, three takeaways, and three sacks. Recently acquired defensive end Darrell Taylor was responsible for two of those sacks - one of which resulted in a fumble from Will Levis - but the group as a whole was effective nearly from start to finish, excluding an explosive rushing attack from the Titans during the second quarter.
The defense will hold their own against the run, and Stroud will have to be particular with where he places passes in the Bears' secondary, but the identity of the unit is in generating pressure with just four rushers, and they will have their hands full with that task on Sunday night. Led by Laremy Tunsil and Shaq Mason, the Texans utilize an impressive unit of pass protectors, and Stroud has an elite understanding of pressure and how to navigate the pocket to avoid it, but the Bears' defensive line simply must win on passing downs throughout the entire game.
Taylor's two-sack performance last week was certainly a boost, but the line will potentially enter the contest without starter DeMarcus Walker, leaving Taylor, Montez Sweat, and rookie Austin Booker as the team's primary edge rushers. With at least five pass protectors on any given play, sending four rushers will guarantee at most three one-on-one opportunities per play, and the Bears need just one of those talented players to win their rep to consistently disrupt the Texans' offense.
4) End Every Drive with a Kick
Special teams are a crucial aspect of every football game, and the Bears' win a week ago proves that mistakes in the kicking game can be costly and momentum-changing. Perhaps the darkest moment for the Bears came during Velus Jones' fumble, but hope was restored thanks to Jonathan Owens' touchdown return off a blocked punt.
Offensively, the Bears should be looking to replicate their performance from a week ago, where they finished with no turnovers. "Ending every drive with a kick" is a somewhat common football mantra, but the offense proved last Sunday that accomplishing this goal can be as conducive to winning as a multi-touchdown performance.
Of course, these kicks will hopefully add points to the scoreboard, especially if they come after a touchdown, but punting the ball can be equally as crucial. With a talented player like Tory Taylor handling the punting duties, controlling the field position game will assist both the offense and the defense. In total, avoiding turnovers like they did a week ago is crucial for the Bears' offense, and leaning on a talented specialist unit will help the team in what may be a close, hard-fought contest in Houston.