Stroud throws TD pass and Fairbairn kicks 4 field goals to help Texans beat Bears 19-13

HOUSTON (AP) — In a second half that saw CJ Stroud and the Houston offense struggle to move the ball, the Texans’ defense stepped up Sunday night to secure a victory over the Chicago Bears.

Houston intercepted rookie Caleb Williams twice after halftime and the Texans held on for a 19-13 victory.

“It’s just about winning one week at a time,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “It’s not always going to be pretty, but you’ve got to find a way to win. That’s what I’m most proud of with our guys. No matter what happened at the end, we found a way to win.”

Stroud threw for 260 yards and a touchdown and Ka’imi Fairbairn kicked four field goals to help Houston win.

Fairbairn completed passes of 56, 47, 59 and 53 yards, and Houston’s defense put heavy pressure on Williams for much of the game.

“It’s always fun to go after any quarterback,” said Houston defensive end Will Anderson Jr., who had 1 1/2 sacks. “This week, we just wanted to keep putting pressure on him.”

Stroud’s 28-yard touchdown pass to Nico Collins gave Houston a 10-3 lead early in the second quarter, and the Texans led 16-10 at halftime.

Houston (2-0) managed just one field goal after halftime, but the defense held firm.

Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, completed 23 of 37 passes for 174 yards. He was sacked seven times.

“He’s been able to avoid the rush and get to the perimeter a couple times, but then he’s got to watch the ball when he’s on the court,” Chicago coach Matt Eberflus said. “So he’s had some big learning moments.”

Houston’s Cam Akers fumbled the ball at the Chicago 4-yard line with about 6 1/2 minutes left, and the Bears (1-1) recovered the ball. Cairo Santos kicked a 54-yard field goal to make it 19-13 with 2:51 left.

The Texans couldn’t get anything going on their next drive and punted with about 90 seconds left. But Williams was tackled by Danielle Hunter on second down and her pass on fourth down fell incomplete, allowing Houston to run down the clock.

“We didn’t play like we should have,” Williams said. “We’re going to continue to get better. I’m a young player and it’s going to be a long season.”

Collins had 135 receiving yards for his second straight 100-yard game, helping the offense get going in a game where Joe Mixon was briefly sidelined with an ankle injury. He had just 25 rushing yards after leading the NFL with 159 yards last weekend in his Houston debut.

Neither team scored in the second half until Houston extended the lead to 19-10 with a 53-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. That score was set up when Williams was hit while throwing and was intercepted by Derek Stingley.

On Chicago’s second play, Williams fumbled a sack but threw another interception. This time, he was intercepted by rookie Kamari Lassiter, a second-round pick out of Georgia.

The Texans took the lead for good on Collins’ TD reception on the first play of the second quarter. That play came after he was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct on the previous play for shoving his hand in Tyrique Stevenson’s face after the cornerback put his hands in Collins’ face.

The Texans made it 13-3 with a 47-yard field goal on their next possession. Stroud made a great pass on the drive, finding Collins for an 18-yard gain despite being hit on the throw.

“It’s special,” Collins said. “Not a lot of people can do that, extend plays like that. He’s special. You can’t coach that.”

A 2-yard touchdown run by Khalil Herbert just before halftime cut Houston’s lead to 13-10. It was the Bears’ first offensive touchdown of the season after they failed to score last week. The score was set up by a pass interference call on rookie Calen Bullock that gave the Bears a first down at the 6.

A 59-yard field goal from Fairbairn made it 16-10 at halftime.

Injuries

Bears: DL Zacch Pickens left the field in the second half with a groin injury. … WR Keenan Allen was inactive with a heel injury.

Kick

Fairbairn, who made three field goals of 50 or more yards last week, became the first player in NFL history to make five or more field goals of at least 50 yards in a two-game span.

“Nobody talks about him enough,” Ryans said. “(Fairbairn) is the reason we won those two games. He’s the player of the match.”