Thursday, March 28

Bears knock off Texans, move to 2-1 | Game Recap


Herbert led the Bears offense with 157 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns. The Bears totaled 281 rushing yards against the Texans.

Quarterback Justin Fields completed 8 of 17 passes for 106 yards while throwing two interceptions.

Mills completed 20 of 32 passes for 245 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Pierce led the Houston rushing attack with 20 carries for 80 yards and a score.

The Bears took a 3-0 lead after Santos kicked a 47-yard field goal on the opening drive of the game. Fields sustained the drive on 3rd and 9 by scrambling out of the pocket for a 29-yard rush – the longest of his career – to reach the Houston 35.

Herbert’s 11-yard score on the Bears’ second possession extended the Chicago lead to 10-0 with 6:45 remaining in the first quarter. The 6-play, 81-yard drive began with a 41-yard run from receiver Equanimeous St. Brown after he received the handoff on a jet sweep. After replacing an injured David Montgomery, Herbert rushed 30 yards on three carries throughout the drive.

On the Texans’ next drive, Mills’ 4-yard touchdown pass to Akins cut the Bears’ lead to 10-7 with 3:40 left in the first quarter. Mills’ 52-yard deep ball to Chris Moore brought the Texans to the Chicago 20. On the following play, safety Eddie Jackson forced a fumble, but Texans guard A.J. Cann recovered the ball, saving the drive.

The Bears defense then came up big on 2nd-and-goal from the 7 as cornerback Kindle Vildor deflected Mills’ pass intended for Cooks in the end zone. Jackson hauled in the tipped throw, notching his second interception of the season.

The Texans took a 14-10 lead after Pierce’s 1-yard rushing touchdown with 7:32 left in the first half. Following Desmond King II’s 30-yard punt return, Pierce carried the ball four straight times, accounting for all 41 yards on the drive.

With 1:48 to go in the first half, Santos hit a 50-yard field goal to close the deficit to 14-13. The Bears’ 12-play, 50-yard drive was highlighted by Fields’ 24-yard completion on 3rd and 9 to Kmet, his first catch of the season. The Bears reached the 23, but Fields was sacked for a loss of 9 yards on 3rd and 6, bringing in the field goal unit.

On the opening drive of the second half, Ka’imi Fairbairn kicked a 39-yard field goal to increase the Texans’ lead to 17-13. Mills completed a 12-yard pass to Pierce then a 25-yard pass to Akins to reach the Bears 38. On 3rd and 8, the Bears defense stopped Pharaoh Brown 2 yards short of the sticks to bring up fourth down.

Houston tied the game at 20-20 on Fairbairn’s 23-yard field goal with 54 seconds left in the third quarter. The Texans drove 70 yards on 14 plays and reached the 2, but on 3rd and 1, linebackers Roquan Smith and Joe Thomas stopped Pierce’s run, forcing the field goal unit to come out. The Bears defense stopped the Texans on 3rd and 1 to earlier in the drive, but the Texans’ executed a fake punt to get the first down.

On the Bears’ next drive, Pitre picked Fields off for the second time on an overthrown deep ball intended for receiver Darnell Mooney. Pitre intercepted the ball at the Houston 40 and returned it to the Chicago 39. However, the Bears defense forced a three-and-out as tackle Justin Jones sacked Mills for a loss of 8 on 2nd and 6 and linebacker Nicholas Morrow tackled Brown for a loss of 5 on 3rd and 14.

With 1:05 remaining in the game, Mills dropped back to throw on 3rd and 1. Defensive lineman Angelo Blackson tipped the throw before Roquan Smith hauled it in for the interception, returning it to the Texans 12. Santos hit the 30-yard field goal as the clock hit 0:00 to give the Bears the win.

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