Two of the brightest young quarterbacks in the NFL will duel under the prime-time lights of “Sunday Night Football” in Week 2.
C.J. Stroud, last year’s NFL offensive rookie year, will lead the Houston Texans against the Chicago Bears and Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL draft.
Both teams are coming into Sunday night’s game with 1-0 records – even if it wasn’t all that pretty.
Williams threw for just 93 yards and failed to record a touchdown during the Bears‘ Chicago’s 24-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans in Week 1. Meanwhile, the Texans got two touchdowns from Stefon Diggs and 150 rushing yards from Joe Mixon to get past the Indianapolis Colts.
USA TODAY Sports will provide the latest updates, scores, highlights, wild plays, analysis and more throughout the Bears-Texans game. Follow along.
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First quarter
Texans field goal (10:20) — Ka’imi Fairbairn, 56 yards
Bears field goal (3:51) — Cairo Santos, 53 yards
Second quarter
Texans touchdown (14:55) — Niko Collins, 28-yard pass from C.J. Stroud (Ka’imi Fairbairn extra point)
Bears 3, Texans 3: Rookie Caleb Williams off to fast start
Bears rookie QB Caleb Williams is off to a much better start than Week 1.
Williams completed his first five passes during an 11-play, 42-yard drive. However, the drive ended when Williams was sacked by Texans edge rushers Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. on third down.
Chicago was able to tie the ballgame up after kicker Cairo Santos hit a 53-yard field goal. Santos barely made the long field goal. The football hit the camera at the bottom of the goal post and bounced between the upright.
The game is all even at 3-3 with 3:51 left in the first quarter. — Tyler Dragon
Texans 3, Bears 0: Ka’imi Fairbairn connects on 56-yard field goal on opening drive
The Texans scored the first points of the night in their home opener.
C.J. Stroud led Houston on an eight-play drive that resulted in a 56-yard field goal by kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn.
Running back Joe Mixon had two touches for 24 yards during the Texans’ opening series.
The Texans have a 3-0 lead early in the first period. — Tyler Dragon
What time is Bears at Texans?
How to watch Bears vs. Texans
The game will air on NBC and Peacock. The game is also available to stream for free on Fubo.
Mike Tirico (play-by-play) and Cris Collinsworth (analyst) will be on the call, with Melissa Stark adding reports from the field for NBC.
Bears vs. Texans inactives: Keenan Allen out for Chicago
Both rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze (knee) and six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen (heel) were listed by the Bears as questionable for Sunday night’s game against the Texans. While Odunze is available, Allen is inactive for the game.
Bears’ inactive players:
- WR Velus Jones Jr.
- WR Keenan Allen
- OL Kiran Amegadjie
- FB Khari Blasingame
- LB Noah Sewell
- DL Dominique Robinson
Texans’ inactive players:
- WR John Metchie III
- S M.J. Stewart
- RB Dameon Pierce
- LB Jamal Hill
- C/G Juice Scruggs
- LB Rashad Weaver
Bears at Texans: Predictions, picks and odds
- Spread: Texans (-6)
- Moneyline: Texans (-275); Bears (+220)
- Over/under: 45
Here are the USA TODAY Sports’ expert picks for the game:
Caleb Williams is first No. 1 overall pick to win NFL debut as starting QB since 2002
Caleb Williams accomplished a rare feat in Week 1, becoming the first No. 1 overall quarterback selection to win his NFL debut since David Carr with the Houston Texans in 2002.
Williams’ debut was less than ideal statistically — 14 completions on 29 attempts for 93 yards and no touchdowns in a 24-17 win over the Tennessee Titans.
David Carr’s win came in the inaugural game for the expansion Texans, a 19-10 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Before Williams’ win last week, the past 15 No. 1 picks who were quarterbacks were a combined 0-14-1 in their first starts, beginning with the Cincinnati Bengals’ Carson Palmer in 2003.
Who is the highest-paid NFL player?
The NFL’s top 18 players in average annual salary are all quarterbacks, according to OverTheCap.com. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott became the league’s highest-paid player on the season’s opening Sunday, agreeing to a four-year, $240 million deal. Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is the first non-quarterback on the highest-paid list after striking a four-year, $140 million contract extension this offseason.
Who are the highest paid NFL players at each position?
We have a complete list at every position:
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