Ka'imi Fairbairn booted four field goals -- three of 50-plus yards -- and the host Houston Texans rode a stifling defensive performance to a 19-13 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday night.
Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams threw two interceptions and absorbed seven sacks, with Texans defensive ends Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. combining for three of those to pace the suffocating attack. Williams passed for 174 yards as the Bears (1-1) totaled just 205 yards of offense.
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud passed for 260 yards and a touchdown to Nico Collins, who finished with eight catches for 135 yards. Houston extended its lead to 19-10 with 13:39 remaining when Fairbairn drilled a 53-yard field goal after Derek Stingley Jr. picked off Williams.
The third quarter was a slog, with the teams combining for nine penalties and six punts. While the Bears totaled nine penalties for 60 yards for the game, Houston finished with 12 penalties for 115 yards.
Before Chicago settled in defensively, the Texans scored on their first three possessions.
The Texans covered only 33 yards on their first drive but that proved sufficient, as Fairbairn made good on a 56-yard field goal that resulted in a 3-0 lead with 10:20 left in the first quarter.
Williams engineered an immediate reply, completing all five of his pass attempts for 55 yards to lead the Bears into Houston territory. But Hunter and Anderson combined for a third-down sack that forced Chicago to settle for a game-tying, 53-yard Cairo Santos field goal at the 3:51 mark of the first.
Stroud and the Texans returned serve, converting a fourth down at midfield before Collins found instant redemption with a 28-yard scoring grab after his 15-yard penalty pushed the Texans out of the red zone. Houston took a 10-3 lead on the first snap of the second quarter and upped the margin to 13-3 when Fairbairn capped an eight-play, 48-yard drive with a 47-yard kick.
The Bears took advantage of a short field and a pass interference penalty on Texans safety Calen Bullock that gave Chicago first-and-goal at the Houston 6-yard line. Khalil Herbert followed with a 2-yard touchdown run that pulled the Bears within 13-10 with 32 seconds left in the first half.
That was just enough time for the Texans to cover 24 yards in five plays, and Fairbairn closed the half with a 59-yarder that pushed Houston to a 16-10 halftime lead.
This article first appeared on Field Level Media and was syndicated with permission.
