3 Takeaways From Bears' Week 3 Win vs. Texans

The Chicago Bears have won two of the first three games in the Matt Eberflus era. The new head coach is leading the team to early success, and there may be plenty of people who have been surprised by these results.

But the Bears have been proving their doubters wrong. On Sunday, they improved to 2-1 with a 23-20 victory over the Houston Texans at Soldier Field, as Cairo Santos kicked a game-winning 30-yard field goal as time expired.

Chicago has won each of its first two home games this season, as it also defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1. This week's victory was a back-and-forth contest in which neither team led by more than four points after the first quarter, and it fittingly came down to the wire.

Here are three takeaways from the Bears' Week 3 win.

Smith Comes Up Big for the Defense Yet Again

AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski

Chicago Bears linebacker Roquan Smith (58) celebrates a defensive stop during the second half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski)

Santos may have lifted Chicago to victory in the closing seconds, but there was a game-changing play that occurred shortly before that which put him in a position to do so. And it should come as no surprise that the play was made by star linebacker Roquan Smith.

Houston had the ball on its own 17-yard line with 1 minute and 42 seconds to go and the game tied at 20. But on the third play of that Texans drive, quarterback Davis Mills was intercepted by Smith, who returned the ball 18 yards to the Houston 12-yard line.

The Bears ran down the clock, and Santos booted the winning field goal. And it may not have ended that way if it wasn't for Smith.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Smith said of his interception, per Andrew Seligman of the Associated Press. “It fell right to me. They say catch the ones that come right to you, and I did it and the rest is history.”

Smith recorded a game-high 16 tackles to lead Chicago's defense, which held Houston to 329 total yards and forced two turnovers. Safety Eddie Jackson also had an interception.

Herbert Making the Most of His Opportunities

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Chicago Bears running back Khalil Herbert, center, runs for a gain of 52 yards as Houston Texans defenders chase him during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

No team is having more trouble against the run so far this season than the Texans, who are allowing an NFL-high 202.3 rushing yards per game. So it was a great matchup for Bears running back David Montgomery. However, he didn't make it deep into the contest, exiting in the first quarter with right knee/ankle injuries.

With Montgomery out, Khalil Herbert took over, and the second-year RB capitalized on the favorable matchup himself. He ran the ball 20 times for 157 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns, one of which was a 1-yard run that gave Chicago a 20-17 lead with 8:25 to go.

“What he did is special,” Bears right guard Lucas Patrick said, per Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune. “Any back to run for that is special, but then to step up when one of our offensive leaders goes down, and to do that and say, ‘Don’t worry, I got us,’ it invigorates all of us."

Herbert has been effective whenever he's gotten the ball this season. In Week 1, he had nine carries for 45 yards and a touchdown in a win over the 49ers. So if Montgomery ends up missing time, Chicago's running game is in good hands.

But even if Montgomery can play next week, it may be wise for the Bears to keep Herbert in the mix. It shouldn't be too hard to do, considering quarterback Justin Fields has attempted only 45 total passes this year and Chicago is operating as a run-first offense.

The Bears Still Have a Challenging Road Ahead

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus watches from the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

There's likely optimism surrounding Chicago's solid start, and for good reason, as the Bears have looked better than they did in 2021 when they went 6-11. But there's still a long season ahead, and this team is going to face much greater challenges.

In fact, Chicago will be playing on the road for four of the next five weeks. And they will be taking on some solid teams during that stretch, as it will face the New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys in hostile environments.

Maybe the Bears will keep their early-season momentum going and win some games in which they're likely to be the underdogs. Or maybe they'll look more like the version of themselves that struggled at Lambeau Field in Week 2 when they lost 27-10 to the Green Bay Packers.

Chicago may be averaging the second-most rushing yards per game in the NFL (186.7), but it's also allowing the second-most rushing yards per game (157). So run defense is one area in which the Bears will likely need to improve upon in order to fare well moving forward.