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3 Keys to a Bears Victory Over the Texans in Week 2

Here are three keys that will help lead the Chicago Bears to victory in Week 2.

By Joseph Grassano

Sep 8, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (28) out runs Indianapolis Colts cornerback Jaylon Jones (40) during the second half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
Sep 8, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (28) out runs Indianapolis Colts cornerback Jaylon Jones (40) during the second half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
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1. Stop the Run

Last season, the Bears had the league's best rush defense, only allowing 1,468 rushing yards in 17 games. The defense achieved this by only allowing seven teams to rush for over 100 yards during the course of a game. While success like that is hard to duplicate, the Bears brought back almost the same defense, so the standard is high.

Last week, the Bears' run defense struggled for much of the game and ended up surrendering 140 combined rushing yards. Tony Pollard was the Titans leading rusher, with 16 carries for 82 yards and a rushing touchdown. Pollard's longest run of the day was his 26-yard touchdown run.

Both Will Levis and Tyjae Spears add four carries. Levis gained 36 yards on his four scrambles, while Spears had 21 rushing yards.

Entering this week, the Bears need to put an emphasis on stopping the run. As mentioned above, the Texans combined for 213 rushing yards against the Colts. Their rushing success was led by newly acquired back Joe Mixon, who had 30 carries for 159 yards and one touchdown with an average of 4.3 yards per carry. Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell also combined for 25 rushing yards on gadget plays, which the Bears need to watch out for.

If the Bears defense is able to shut down Mixon and this new-look Texans running game, it leaves Stroud to go against a tough secondary. While Stroud has the weapons to go head-to-head with the Bears secondary, it won't be a cakewalk. That is why stopping the run will be imperative for the Bears' defensive success.

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