Texans RB Adrian Foster catches a touchdown pass Sunday night against the Bears. (AP) |
Houston flipped the script Sunday night in its 13-6 win over Chicago. The Texans (8-1) forced four turnovers in the first half, setting the tone for the evening. Heading into the game, the Bears (7-2) received a lot of attention for their ball disruption. Chicago entered the week having forced 28 turnovers in its first eight games, but it was Houston’s defense that made more big plays Sunday night.
Offense: C
RB Arian Foster played extremely well and was the best player on the field in the first half. He ended the game with 29 carries for 102 yards and scored the lone touchdown of the game on a 2-yard pass from QB Matt Schaub. However, Schaub struggled in the rainy weather. He missed badly on a few throws and threw two interceptions. For the game, Schaub was 14 of 26 for 95 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Six of Houston’s final seven possessions ended with a punt, and five of the final seven were three-and-outs. Previous game's grade: B
Defense: A
Houston’s defense once again came up with big plays, forcing four turnovers. FS Danieal Manning forced a fumble and intercepted a pass in his first game against the team that drafted him. The Bears managed just eight first downs and 249 yards of total offense. Houston allowed Chicago to convert just two of 13 third downs. Bears QB Jay Cutler did not play in the second half due to a concussion, but he was just 7 of 14 for 40 yards and two interceptions when he was in the game. Houston also kept RB Matt Forte in check, allowing him just 39 yards on 16 carries. Previous game's grade: A-
Special Teams: A
The coverage teams were fantastic the majority of the night. Chicago return specialist Devin Hester averaged 10.3 yards per punt return and 19 yards on two kickoff returns. The coverage teams did well at containing Hester and keeping him from making a game-changing play. K Shayne Graham hit two field goals in adverse conditions, and P Donnie Jones averaged 44.6 yards per punt on eight attempts. Previous game's grade: B
Coaching: A
The victory wasn’t pretty by any stretch, but Houston still won a Sunday night game in Chicago, which is something to be proud of. The Texans were prepared and were more physical than Chicago in the early going. Previous game's grade: B
Follow Texans blogger Sean Bielawski on Twitter, @CBSTexans.