Chicago bears vs houston texans match player stats On September 15, 2024, the NFL faced a thrilling early-season matchup between the Chicago Bears vs Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Final score: Texans 19, Bears 13. While the outcome was close, the player stats tell a compelling story about which side executed better and where the Bears fell short. Below, we examine in depth the performance of quarterbacks, ground and aerial attacks, defense & special teams, and what the numbers suggest for both teams.
Game Context & Summary
The Chicago Bears vs Houston Texans match player stats are rooted in a defensive, low-scoring contest where key plays often came from turnovers and field goals rather than explosive offensive drives. The Texans improved to 2-0; the Bears dropped to 1-1. Houston’s kicker, Ka’imi Fairbairn, accounted for four field goals; interference from Chicago’s side (turnovers, pressure) gave Houston chances to capitalize. Chicago Bears+4houstontexans.com+4ESPN.com+4
Here are some high-level team numbers:
Statistic | Bears | Texans |
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Total Net Yards | 205 | 310 Chicago Bears+2profootballarchives.com+2 |
Passing Yards | ~134 | ~235-260 profootballarchives.com+3ESPN.com+3FOX Sports+3 |
Rushing Yards | ≈ 71 | ≈ 75 Chicago Bears+2profootballarchives.com+2 |
Turnovers | 2 INT (Bears) | 0 INT + fumble (Houston) houstontexans.com+1 |
Penalties (yards) | ~9 for 60 yards | ~12 for 115 yards Chicago Bears+2FOX Sports+2 |
Quarterback Comparison: Stroud vs Williams
C.J. Stroud (Houston Texans)
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Completions/Attempts: 23/36 ESPN.com+2houstontexans.com+2
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Passing Yards: ~260 FOX Sports+2ESPN.com+2
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Touchdowns: 1 houstontexans.com+2profootballarchives.com+2
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Interceptions: 0 houstontexans.com+1
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Sacks Taken: 3 ESPN.com+2houstontexans.com+2
Stroud displayed poise, avoiding turnovers and managing pressure fairly well. His efficiency kept Houston in good field position and enabled sustained drives, though not all resulted in touchdowns. Special teams played a part with Fairbairn converting field goal attempts that otherwise might have required touchdown drives. ESPN.com+2houstontexans.com+2
Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears)
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Completions/Attempts: 23/37 houstontexans.com+2ESPN.com+2
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Passing Yards: ~174 ESPN.com+2profootballarchives.com+2
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Touchdowns: 0 profootballarchives.com+1
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Interceptions: 2 houstontexans.com+1
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Sacks Taken: 7 ESPN.com+2FOX Sports+2
Williams had some bright moments, especially with rushing yards (see below), but struggled with turnovers and consistent pressure from Houston. The two interceptions were costly, especially since the Bears were unable to convert drives into touchdowns to offset those miscues. Strong sack pressure disrupted rhythm. ESPN.com+2profootballarchives.com+2
Rushing & Receiving Performances
Bears’ Offense
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Rushing: Caleb Williams led the Bears in rushing yards with 5 carries for 44 yards; longest run 24 yards. D’Andre Swift contributed 14 carries for 18 yards. Khalil Herbert had a short touchdown run (2 yards). profootballarchives.com+2houstontexans.com+2
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Receiving: D.J. Moore hauled in 6 receptions for 53 yards; Rome Odunze had 2 for 33 yards; other receivers had smaller totals. houstontexans.com+2profootballarchives.com+2
Texans’ Offense
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Rushing: Cam Akers (7 attempts, 32 yards); Joe Mixon (9 attempts, 25 yards); others had smaller runs. houstontexans.com+2profootballarchives.com+2
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Receiving: Nico Collins was the star, with 8 receptions, 135 yards and 1 touchdown. Stefon Diggs caught 4 passes for 37 yards; Dalton Schultz, Dare Ogunbowale and others added contributions. houstontexans.com+2FOX Sports+2
Collins was the clear standout in Houston’s aerial game. His big plays made a significant difference in terms of moving the chains and applying pressure on Chicago’s secondary. Meanwhile, Chicago’s offense leaned on short and intermediate targets and the run game, but was less productive in chunk plays.
Defense, Turnovers, and Game-Shifting Moments
Several key defensive moments and turnovers defined the Chicago Bears vs Houston Texans match player stats in this game:
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Houston’s defense intercepted Williams twice after halftime, which halted promising Bears drives and tilted momentum. ESPN.com+2houstontexans.com+2
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The Texans’ pass rush also got home multiple times, sacking Williams 7 times. That high sack number limits scrambling, disrupts timing, and forces errors. ESPN.com+2houstontexans.com+2
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Chicago’s defense forced a touchdown run by Herbert, but overall couldn’t stop third-down moves or big passing plays from Collins and associates. Meanwhile, Houston’s offense benefited from field position after turnover events, and Fairbairn’s long field goals sealed the edge. profootballarchives.com+2FOX Sports+2
Special Teams & Situational Impact
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Ka’imi Fairbairn’s kicking was decisive: 4 field goals (distances 56, 47, 59, 53 yards) FOX Sports+2profootballarchives.com+2
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Cairo Santos for Chicago: made his field goals (53, 54 yards) but overall Chicago didn’t have enough touchdowns to keep pace. profootballarchives.com+2FOX Sports+2
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Penalty yards hurt Houston in field position in some drives, but overall they managed better in the red zone and leaned into their kicking game. Chicago’s inability to convert red-zone trips (or field goal-range drives) into touchdowns was a weakness. profootballarchives.com+2Chicago Bears+2
Key Swagger: What the Player Stats Reveal
From the numbers, these themes emerge in the Chicago Bears vs Houston Texans match player stats:
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Efficiency and taking what the defense gives you: Houston didn’t always engineer long drives or big scoring plays, but they converted turnovers and leveraged their kicker well. Stroud performed with fewer mistakes, even if not super flashy.
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Pressure matters: The 7 sacks on Williams made life tough for Chicago. When a quarterback is under pressure, completion percentage drops and risk of turnovers increases (which is exactly what happened).
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Star receivers stepping up: Nico Collins was the clear go-to and delivered. Chicago’s receiving corps had decent yardage, but lacked the explosive plays to swing momentum.
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Game management & situational football: Field goals were a big part of the scoring for Houston. Converting inside the red zone (or consistently getting into it) could have changed the game for Chicago, but the Bears fell short.
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Turnover differential and second-half adjustments: Houston’s defense intercepted Williams after halftime, which helped seal the win despite Chicago maintaining some possession advantage. That differential is often decisive in close games.
Statistical Comparison & What Could Have Been
Here’s a side-by-side snapshot with selected key players and possible “what if” observations:
Category | If Chicago Converted | If Houston Missed Key Plays |
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Williams avoids interceptions | Bears might have had closer margin or even won, given they matched Houston in some rushing and possession stats. | Without those turnovers, Chicago would have kept momentum. |
More explosive plays | If Chicago had a bigger play or two downfield, it could’ve turned field goal chances into touchdowns. | Limits Houston’s ability to rely on field goals. |
Better pass protection | Fewer sacks could have improved passing efficiency, reduced mistakes. | Puts more pressure on Texas secondary. |
Penalty reduction | Chicago could have kept longer drives alive. | Texas might have had fewer field goal opportunities or better field position. |
Conclusion & Looking Ahead
The Chicago Bears vs Houston Texans match player stats from September 15, 2024, underscore how a combination of efficient quarterback play, strong receiving (Collins), opportunistic defense, and special teams excellence can win tight games. Houston executed those areas better; the Bears showed promise, especially in rushing and in parts of their aerial game, but couldn’t overcome turnovers and pressure.
For Chicago, upcoming improvements might include:
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Better pass protection to reduce sacks.
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More risk-reward deep passing or explosive plays.
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Red zone efficiency—turning more drives into touchdowns rather than settling for field goals or coming away empty.
For Houston, they’ll want to maintain defensive consistency, protect Stroud better, and ensure special teams keep delivering in clutch situations.