Special teams did well with what they had to face.
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Because of Tony Romo’s back injury, Prescott and Elliott were the first rookie quarterback-running back combo to start an opener for the Cowboys since Roger Staubach and Calvin Hill in 1969.
Alshon Jeffery and Eddie Royal both a very productive games, but the Bears are going to need more. A season-opening 23-14 loss to the Texans was not in the plans. That was not the case today. Jeffery’s 29-yard circus reception in the first quarter showed off his sizeable catch radius.
The Green Bay defense limited the Jacksonville offense to just 48 total yards rushing on the afternoon.
Perhaps the most important things is that there were no drops. But the man who has won NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year the last two seasons and three of the last four wasn’t the game-changer he has routinely been in the past.
That didn’t change the fact that Prescott had played remarkably well in his National Football League debut.
The numbers do not fully explain the story though.
The game ended with Dallas in position for a roughly 57-yard field goal, but Terrance Williams didn’t get out of bounds after a catch and the clock ran out.
The offensive line allowed only two sacks, giving Brock Osweiler time to work in the pocket and opening up good running lanes for Miller. “And they showed us today how good they were”. You get the sense that the former Super Bowl 50 champion (who started seven games for Denver last season) has some staying power. That was not necessarily the case. He finished the day with 5 receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown. Rookie Kevin White was not where the quarterback expected him to be on the interception. But his inexperience cost the Bears when he appeared to run a wrong route that led to an interception early in the third quarter. After that, the defense pitched a shutout. “There were some yards there after contact that we can [get] and I’m sure that’s what he was referring to”.
Play makers were coming from everywhere during this game. While Houston endured struggles converting in the red zone, the Bears proved totally helpless once Texans linebacker Whitney Mercilus (two sacks) and the rest of the Houston defense started rolling. The fact is, JJ Watt was in the backfield a lot. The Texans needed a play, and on Sunday, the man who was their most impactful defender, Whitney Mercilus, made one, sacking Cutler and forcing a fumble that was nearly scooped up by CB A.J. Bouye.
In the secondary, Andre Hal got the only defensive takeaway of the game. Wentz looked sharp in his debut but I’m not counting on him in his first road game under the bright lights of Monday night. It was great seeing Vince Wilfork almost get a pick after disrupting a play. They did a great job tackling and avoiding penalties.Tyler Ervin did a good job on punt/kickoff returns.
All those elements came together in grand fashion as Houston debuted its new pieces in a victory that should serve as a blueprint for success for a team stuck at a 9-7 level the past two seasons. So though Cowboys and Texans fans may never praise the names of Matt Cassell, Kellen Moore, and Brandon Weeden, or Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallet, T.J. Yates, and, er, Brandon Weeden again, the dudes who led each team to heartbreak in 2015 can be quickly erased now that none of them are taking meaningful snaps. The rookie wide receivers performed well. But hopefully he’ll be back at some point. That won’t happen against this Texans D. Texans, it’s time to get our playoff revenge.
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So it is Houston vs Chicago weekend, the Texans improved Houston’s record to 3-1 the Astros play later tonight.
