(SportsRadio 610) - While the NFL season is only two weeks old, the light at the end of the tunnel for a number of teams already seems to be fading as rough starts for teams like the Bengals, Titans, Raiders, Panthers and Falcons have resulted in zeros in the win column.
Since the NFL expanded to a 12-team playoff format in 1990, 265 teams have started a season 0-2, only 30 of those teams made the playoffs in the last 32 seasons.
That’s an average of less than one team per season.
Hey, who said math isn’t any fun?
The Texans of course, were one of those 30, when they started 0-2 back in 2018, finishing the season 11-5, only to lose in the wild card round to the Indianapolis Colts.
Through the first couple of weeks this season, the Texans are of course 0-1-1, including a tie with the aforementioned Colts, and winning isn’t necessarily on the forefront of fans minds, rather more high draft choices in 2023.
As they prepare to take on the Bears, who enter Sunday's tilt at 1-1, both teams will be in search for answers at the quarterback position, as both have underwhelmed out of the gate.
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The similarities between the two teams are vast.
Both are in the midst of a rebuild, have new head coaches, young quarterbacks that have left much to be desired, rookies starting in key positions all over the field and defensive schemes that resemble “second cousins” as Texans head coach Lovie Smith put it earlier this week, just to name a few.
Despite the many likenesses these two organizations share, the Bears have met the win column unlike the Texans.
So, what will give on Sunday at Soldier Field?
Will Bears run game keep rolling through a struggling Texans run defense?
The Texans run defense has allowed opponents to average 163 yards per game thus far.
Bears running back David Montgomery is coming off a 122 yard performance in his teams 27-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Can Dameon Pierce help carry a sputtering Texans offense?
Pierce saw a significant increase in playing time between weeks one and two. Playing in just 29% of the offensive snaps week one to 62% against the Broncos, paid off for the Texans as Pierce upped his yards per carry to 4.6 on 15 carries and 69 yards.
Can Pep Hamilton keep him on the field when it counts? That’s actually been a question the first two weeks. The answer needs to be a resounding YES, for the Texans to win Sunday.
Who will trust their quarterback more?
Davis Mills is completing just 56% of his passes. That number is largely affected by a forgettable 19/38 performance in Denver last weekend. Mills has struggled to make the easy throws and hasn’t performed in the clutch in either opportunity he’s had the first couple of weeks when he’s had chances to drive to tie or win a game late.
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While the Bears have allowed Justin Fields to throw the ball just 28 times through two games. Sure, they played in a rain storm, but Fields let it fly 17 times against the 49ers week one.
Defense wins games … right?
While the Bears have been used to this for decades, in order for somebody to win this game, the defense will likely have to carry the load.
If the Texans were to pull it out Sunday, it would kind of be poetic justice for Lovie Smith who coached the Bears to seven top 10 finishes in team takeaways during his decade stretch as their head coach.
The Bears have five sacks through two games and have forced three turnovers.
On the flip side, Mills has taken six sacks and fumbled the ball once, which is the only turnover for the Texans to date.
The Texans have gotten to the quarterback five times and forced five turnovers through two games, including two interceptions.
That could bode well for a Texans defense who could be tested by Fields if given the reigns to throw the ball more, as veteran quarterbacks Matt Ryan and Russell Wilson routinely tested the Texans young secondary the first two weeks.
Since the first day of training camp, Lovie Smith has preached takeaways and the need for his defense to score points. There may not be a more opportune time for his team to do just that on Sunday.
There doesn’t appear to be that many winnable games on either of these two teams schedules, but Sunday's meeting is likely one that both have circled as one they believe they should get.
Shaun Bijani has spent the last 16 years covering the Houston sports scene for SportsRadio 610. Follow him on Twitter @ShaunBijani.
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