3 Takeaways from Bears' Week 14 Win

On the Chicago Bears' first offensive play of the game on Sunday, running back David Montgomery rushed 80 yards for a touchdown. From there, the rout was on.

The Bears cruised to a 36-7 win over the Houston Texans at Soldier Field in Chicago, snapping their six-game losing streak and staying competitive in the NFC wild-card race. Chicago built a 23-point lead by halftime and held Houston scoreless for the final 38 minutes and 37 seconds.

It was the Bears' first victory since they beat the Carolina Panthers in Week 6, at which time they were 5-1. Things haven't been going as well since, but there's still time for Chicago to finish strong and make a push for the playoffs.

Here are three takeaways from the Bears' win on Sunday afternoon.

Offense Building Momentum with Trubisky Under Center

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

Mitchell Trubisky began the year as the Bears' starting quarterback. Despite starting 3-0, Chicago opted to turn to Nick Foles. However, Foles suffered a hip injury, opening the door for Trubisky to get back under center the past three games coming out of the Bears' Week 11 bye.

Although Chicago lost the previous two weeks, its offense showed signs of improvement. That carried over into Sunday when the Bears racked up 410 total yards and scored four first-half touchdowns, three of which were passing scores by Trubisky in the second quarter. He connected with tight end Jimmy Graham and wide receivers Allen Robinson II and Darnell Mooney for touchdowns.

"Just the situation that we were in, being on that little losing streak, that makes you sick to your stomach," Trubisky said, according to Andrew Seligman of the Associated Press. "I was willing to do whatever it took for the team today, just go out there and get a win."

It may have helped that the Texans entered the day ranked 30th in the NFL in total yards allowed per game (406.3), but the Bears still capitalized on the matchup and continued to score points after building an early lead. With the offense building momentum, it could potentially keep having success the rest of the regular season, especially with some favorable matchups coming up for the passing attack.

Right now, Trubisky is proving he can lead the Bears' offense to positive results. He went 24-for-33 for 267 yards, while Chicago's running game was also effective, totaling 169 yards on the ground.

Smith Keeps Improving in Third Season

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

In his first two NFL seasons, Roquan Smith put up strong numbers. In his third year, the Bears middle linebacker is faring even better.

Smith's impressive 2020 season continued Sunday, as he had 12 tackles and two sacks, notching his first multi-sack game of the year. He led a Chicago defense that held Houston to 263 yards. The Texans committed two turnovers and had a safety, while their only points came on a five-yard touchdown pass from Deshaun Watson to Keke Coutee midway through the second quarter.

Through 13 games, Smith has a career-high 122 tackles (which ranks fourth in the NFL) and four sacks (one shy of his career high set as a rookie in 2018). He also leads the league with 83 solo tackles. With three games remaining, there's a chance for Smith to keep adding to his stats and make this a special season.

The Bears' defense has been one of their biggest strengths, and Smith is a key reason for that. And at only 23, Smith should continue to be a leader in the middle for Chicago for years to come, which is an exciting thing for the team and fans alike.

With Skid Over, Bears Still in Playoff Race

Kamil Krzaczynski/Associated Press

Even though the Bears went eight weeks between wins, they still remain alive in the NFC wild-card race. And not only that, but they have a solid chance of obtaining the No. 7 seed (the final postseason berth) if they finish the season strong.

Over the final three weeks of the regular season, Chicago is set to take on the Minnesota Vikings (6-7), Jacksonville Jaguars (1-12) and Green Bay Packers (10-3), who have already clinched the NFC North title and could potentially be resting their starters in Week 17 if there's nothing at stake for them at that point.

The Bears' Week 15 road matchup against the Vikings will be crucial, as a win could push them much closer to a playoff berth. Both teams are one game back of the Arizona Cardinals (7-6), who hold the third and final wild-card spot. And although Chicago finally notched another victory, it needs to keep things going well to make a postseason push.

"It's just a start," Bears head coach Matt Nagy said, per Seligman. "It's been a while. But when you go through moments like this, you stay resilient and you stay persistent and you trust in one another. That's what we've done."

So, Sunday's win over Houston was important in keeping Chicago's playoff aspirations a realistic goal. Now, it could really use its first winning streak since notching back-to-back victories in Weeks 5 and 6.