HOUSTON (AP) — CJ Stroud threw for 260 yards and a touchdown and Ka′imi Fairbairn kicked four field goals to help the Houston Texans defeat the Chicago Bears 19-13 on Sunday night.
Fairbairn scored from 56, 47, 59 and 53 yards and Houston’s defense put Caleb Williams under a lot of pressure for much of the game.
Stroud’s 28-yard touchdown pass to Nico Collins gave Houston a 10-3 lead early in the second quarter, and the Texans led 16-10 at halftime.
Houston (2-0) had trouble moving the ball in the second half and only managed one field goal, but the defense intercepted two passes from Williams to secure the win.
Williams, who was selected No. 1 in the NFL Draft, completed 23 of 37 passes for 174 yards. He was sacked seven times.
Houston’s Cam Akers fumbled at Chicago’s 4-yard line with about 6.5 minutes left, but the Bears (1-1) recovered the ball. Cairo Santos made a 54-yard field goal with 2:51 minutes left to make the score 19-13.
The Texans couldn’t get anything going on their next drive and punted with about 90 seconds left. However, Williams was sacked by Danielle Hunter on second down and his pass on fourth down was incomplete, allowing Houston to run out the clock.
Collins rushed for 135 yards, his second straight 100-yard gain, and was the top offensive player in a game that saw Joe Mixon miss a brief period with an ankle injury. He managed just 25 yards in the running game after leading the NFL with 159 yards in his debut in Houston last weekend.
Neither team scored in the second half until Houston extended the lead to 19-10 with a 53-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. The goal was made possible when Williams was hit on the throw and Derek Stingley intercepted the ball.
On Chicago’s second play of the next drive, Williams escaped a sack but threw another interception, this time caught by rookie Kamari Lassiter, a second-round pick out of Georgia.
The Texans took the lead for good on Collins’ touchdown reception on the first play of the second quarter. That play came after he was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct on the previous play for putting his hand in Tyrique Stevenson’s face after the cornerback put his hands in Collins’ face.
The Texans increased their lead to 13-3 on their next possession with a 47-yard field goal. Stroud made a standout throw on the drive, finding Collins for an 18-yard gain despite taking a hit on the throw.
A 2-yard touchdown run by Khalil Herbert just before halftime cut Houston’s lead to 13-10. It was the Bears’ first offensive touchdown of the season after failing to score a single one last week. The touchdown was made possible by a pass interference call against rookie Calen Bullock, which gave the Bears a first down at the 6-yard line.
A 59-yard field goal by Fairbairn made it 16-10 at halftime.
Injuries
Bears: DL Zacch Pickens left the field in the second half with a groin injury. … WR Keenan Allen was unavailable for play with a heel injury.
Next
Bears: Visit Indianapolis next Sunday.
Texans: Visit the Vikings next Sunday.
