Houston Texans lose to Chicago Bears 36-7, for ninth loss of the season
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - DECEMBER 13: Houston Texans running back Buddy Howell #38 is gang tackled by the Chicago Bears defense during the second half at Soldier Field on December 13, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Mitchell Trubisky threw three touchdown passes to outplay Deshaun Watson in their first meeting since they entered the NFL, and the Chicago Bears snapped a six-game losing streak with a 36-7 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday.
David Montgomery ran for an 80-yard touchdown on Chicago’s first play from scrimmage, helping the Bears stopped their worst skid since the 2002 team dropped eight in a row to match a franchise record.
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The Bears (6-7) sacked Watson seven times, including a safety by Khalil Mack, to tie a career-high for the Texans quarterback.
General manager Ryan Pace’s decision to draft Trubisky with the No. 2 overall pick in 2017 when he could have gone with Watson or Patrick Mahomes drew even more attention than usual during the week. But on Sunday, Chicago’s quarterback delivered.
Trubisky buried the Texans (4-9) in the first half, throwing for three TDs as the Bears grabbed a 30-7 lead.
Facing one of the NFL’s worst defenses, he completed 24 of 33 passes for 267 yards. He posted a 126.7 rating in his third start since returning to the lineup with Nick Foles (hip and glute) injured.
Montgomery tied the fourth-longest run in franchise history and finished with a season-high 113 yards on 11 carries.
Allen Robinson caught nine passes for 123 yards, matching a season-high and giving him 1,027 for the season. It’s the second straight year he has reached 1,000 yards.
Mack went four games without a sack before he got Watson for a safety in the second quarter. He also recovered a fumble by Duke Johnson in the first period and deflected a pass in the second.
Roquan Smith had two sacks. And the Monsters of the Midway came away with their first win since they beat Carolina in Week 6.
The NFL’s second-leading passer behind Mahomes, Watson was 21 of 30 for 219 yards after three straight games with more than 300.
Watson exited for a play after he was hit by Smith and Mack, throwing an incomplete pass on a third-down near the goal line late in the third. AJ McCarron got sacked, ending that threat. Watson returned on the next drive.
Montgomery wasted no time giving the Bears a lead when he broke through the line and burst up the left side. It matched Chicago’s longest run of the Super Bowl era, with Neal Anderson going for 80 yards against Green Bay on Nov. 27, 1988.
Trubisky made it 14-0 early in the second quarter with a 5-yard touchdown to Jimmy Graham. But the Texans quickly answered. A 48-yard reception by Johnson set up Watson’s 5-yard pass to Keke Coutee, making it a seven-point game.
Mack followed a 10-yard sack by Bilal Nichols by taking down Watson for a safety. The Bears went 66 yards on the next drive, with Darnell Mooney scoring from the 12 on a swing pass to make it 23-7 with 3:22 remaining in the half.
Trubisky added a 3-yard TD to Robinson in double coverage in the closing seconds, sending Chicago to the locker room with a 23-point lead