Even though there is still a lot to improve, the Houston Texans are pleased with their 2-0 start after losing their first two games last season.
On Sunday night, the Texans only managed three points after halftime, but their strong defense helped them secure a 19-13 win over the Bears. This win puts them in a good position in the AFC South, especially since the Colts, Titans, and Jaguars have all lost their first two games.
This is the first time since 2016 that the Texans have won their first two games.
“I definitely know that Texans football was not what we put on the field (Sunday), at least in the second half,” quarterback C.J. Stroud said. “We’ll definitely be better, for sure.”
Stroud threw for 260 yards and a touchdown, but the Texans had to punt five times out of their seven possessions in the second half and fumbled once. Their only score after halftime was a field goal early in the fourth quarter.
“Second half we were just flat,” Stroud said. “Just needed a big play or just needed (to) stack plays really. We just couldn’t find our rhythm.”
One problem for the Texans on Sunday was their difficulty running the ball. Houston only gained 75 rushing yards against the Bears, after leading the NFL with 213 rushing yards in Week 1.
“They had a lot of penetration,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “We weren’t able to have the lanes that we had the previous weeks. Something we have to clean up on the offensive side and make sure we just continue to get a head on the hat no matter what they show us.”
The running game was also affected by an ankle injury to Joe Mixon, who had 159 rushing yards in the opener. He was hurt early in the third quarter and came back near the end of the period but only had two carries for 5 yards after that. He ended the game with nine carries for 25 yards.
