(2) Containing the explosive Texans offense

Reigning AFC Offensive Rookie of the Year CJ Stroud quarterbacks a star-studded cast of top position players, including receivers Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins and running back Joe Mixon. Houston traded Diggs and Mixon in the offseason, and the two new additions combined for all three of the Texans’ touchdowns in Sunday’s season-opening 29-27 road win over the Colts.

Stroud threw for 234 yards with two touchdowns and a passer rating of 115.9. Diggs had six catches for 33 yards and two TDs. Collins caught six passes for 117 yards. And Mixon ran for 159 yards and a TD on 30 carries, a career-high, the most yards of any NFL running back in Week 1. Those performances helped the Texans hold the ball for 40 minutes and run 76 plays, while the Colts managed just 43.

In 2023, Stroud had one of the best rookie years in league history, throwing for 4,108 yards with 23 TDs, five interceptions and a 100.8 passer rating to lead the Texans to the AFC South championship. His 25-5 touchdown-interception ratio since the start of the 2023 season is the best in the NFL.

“He’s an all-around quarterback,” cornerback Tyrique Stevenson said. “When the pocket closes, he can get out with his feet. He can make all the throws. He’s a great quarterback. He showed that last year in his rookie season and got the team where it needed to be to make the playoffs.”

The Bears will counter with a defense that held the Titans scoreless in the second half last Sunday, scoring the game-winning touchdown on Stevenson’s 43-yard interception return of a Will Levis pass. With their combined rush and coverage, the Bears allowed just 104 yards passing, the second-fewest in Week 1.

“A good challenge for us this week,” defensive coordinator Eric Washington said. “The first is for the defense to make sure we’re playing up to our standards in every way for four quarters, with all of our values, our culture, and then just stopping the run and just doing everything we can to raise our level of play this week: our discipline, ball production, hitting the quarterback, just being efficient on first and second attempts. We want to make sure we make a pretty good jump this week.”