Really, there is not much to say about this game. The Cowboys and Bucs lost, but the Bears spit the bit too. The Texans ended up finishing the season 8-8, same as last year. With the Bears' and Bucs' losses, the Eagles made the playoffs after their destruction of the Cowboys.
Bears started the game with a lot of energy and got an early 10-0 lead. But FanHouse's resident Bears fan, Matt Snyder, pegged the problem for the Bears before the game. (And for emphasis, he said it here too).
He had concerns that the Bears wouldn't be able to handle Texans standout wide receiver, Andre Johnson. Johnson got two touchdowns for the day, and ended the season as the top receiver for receptions and yards (just beaten out for yards per game by Steve Smith).
Texans running back Steve Slaton struggled early with dropping balls and quarterback protection, but ended up finishing the game strong. He ended up getting 1,282 yards for the season to have the most for rookie running backs in a class with some amazing ones.
Eventually, this became a time of possession game. The Texans won that battle 37:34 to 22:26, and put up 455 yards of total offense. Bears defense had little chance when the their offense couldn't stay on the field as the game progressed.
Both of these teams are ones with albatrosses. With the Bears, it is their offense. With the Texans, it is their defense. Until those units get more reliable, it puts too much pressure on the rest of their team to get them wins, and it exposes them, in particular, on the road. This may not be the story of this game, but it is certainly the story of their seasons.
Texans 31, Bears 24: At Least This Game Made Eagles Fans Happy originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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