J.J. Watt never doubted he’d play in Houston’s season opener while recovering from back surgery that forced him to miss all of training camp.
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The Chicago Bears are fresh off of a lackluster 2015 season that saw the Bears finish in the NFC North basement with a record of 6-10. They could be OK on the defensive side of the football, but if the Bears turn it over and the defense has to be on the field for a lengthy time, the Texans will be able to wear them down.
The Bears did just sign three-time Pro Bowl guard Josh Sitton to bolster their line a bit, and even though he’s dealing with a labrum issue in his shoulder, star right guard Kyle Long is expected to play in week one even if he’s not 100 percent. Meanwhile, the Bears believe they’re a better team in 2016 but still have a ways to go in order to become an annual contender.
General manager Ryan Pace believes that a stronger pass rush will create more turnovers for the Bears’ defense, which forced just 17 all of last season. He rushed for 537 yards and six scores in limited action last season. However, they still face a huge task containing a Texans offense that scored at least 24 points in four of their past five home dates. Osweiler and Miller could also start slow, but the Texans have a defense that should help make up for that.
Chicago might be able to bounce back from last season, but the opener doesn’t look good on paper. The 3-time Defensive Player of the Year is set to keep his 85-game playing streak alive. The club is coming off a 4-0 preseason (which really doesn’t mean much) but more importantly, this is a club that rebounded from a 2-5 start last season to finish 9-7 and win the AFC South.
The post Chicago Bears vs. Houston Texans: Week 1 preview appeared first on Cover32.
The Bears are one of the biggest underdogs in Week 1, with 93-percent of analysts picking the Texans to win on Sunday. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and Odds Shark YouTube for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.
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The Texans are 8-1 SU in their last nine games as favorite. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted.
