With the degree of difficulty enhanced, the Chicago Bears embarked on the second half of their season Sunday night against their most formidable opponent since a Week 2 loss at Green Bay.
The Houston Texans (7-1) entered Soldier Field with the best record in the AFC, matching the Bears’ NFC North-leading record. It was a rainy night, with a cold front moving in.
The Bears turned the ball over on their first play from scrimmage when Jay Cutler passed six yards to tight end Kellen Davis. A fumble was forced by former Bears safety Danieal Manning at the Bears' 43 and recovered by Tim Dobbins. When the Texans' drive stalled at the 2, Shayne Graham kicked a 20-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.
Bears cornerback Tim Jennings halted the Texans' next drive with his seventh interception of the season. But the Texans answered, Manning intercepting a Jay Cutler pass to stop a drive at the Houston 5-yard line.
The hitting was fierce from the outset, with Bears defensive end Shea McClellin being ruled out for the game early in the first quarter with a concussion.
The Bears entered with a six-game winning streak, their longest such stretch since they won seven in a row in 2006 en route to a Super Bowl appearance.
Similarities and matching strengths between the Bears and Texans went well beyond their identical records.
While the Bears had seven interceptions for touchdowns in their first eight games, the Texans had turned the ball over only six times (best in the NFL) behind quarterback Matt Schaub, who came in with a 96.8 passer rating.
The Bears entered the game with the NFL lead in takeaways (28) and turnover differential (plus-16). Houston came in with the league’s third-ranked defense, limiting its opponents to 286.1 total yards per game. They had not allowed a rushing touchdown in 11 games, going back to 2011.
Two candidates for NFL Defensive Player of the Year are Houston’s defensive end J.J. Watt, the NFL leader in sacks, and Bears cornerback Charles Tillman, the king of the ball punch and the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October.
“They don’t play soft. They play penetrating defense,” Bears offensive coordinator Mike Tice said of the Texans. “They remind me of some of the really good Pittsburgh Steelers defenses that we played against over the years, meaning that they play on the other side of the line of scrimmage. They’re very good.”
The Bears came in with the NFL’s top red zone defense, allowing just seven touchdowns in 19 trips inside their 20.
The last time the Texans faced the Bears in Soldier Field was Dec. 19, 2004. The Texans prevailed 24-5 in 12-degree temperatures, the second-coldest kickoff temperature in team history.
fmitchell@tribune.com
Twitter @kicker34
1st quarter: Texans 3, Bears 0
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1st quarter: Texans 3, Bears 0
