New Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler didn’t have a great game in his Houston debut, but his receivers did.
Texans receivers Will Fuller and DeAndre Hopkins both stepped up as Houston beat Chicago, 23-14.
Osweiler’s two touchdown passes were a great diving catch in the end zone by Hopkins and later a nifty catch-and-run by Fuller. Osweiler, who threw an interception on his first drive, generally had his numbers inflated by the strong play of his receivers. Lamar Miller also added 106 yards rushing for the Texans.
Fortunately for Osweiler, Houston’s defense played well even with J.J. Watt at less than full speed. The Texans made life miserable for Jay Cutler, as Whitney Mercilus had two sacks and Jadeveon Clowney, John Simon and A.J. Bouye had one each for Houston.
Bears coach John Fox had some questionable late-game decisions, including punting on fourth-and-2 at the Texans’ 38-yard line and wasting a timeout with a bad challenge in the fourth quarter. Fox deserves to be scrutinized for that.
Osweiler deserves to be scrutinized, too. The Texans won and looked good doing it, but they’re going to need more from their $18 million quarterback.