3 big predictions for the Houston Texans vs. the Chicago Bears

Sunday Night Football is almost upon us and with the arrival of the Houston Texans hosting the Chicago Bears this week, big things are afoot. Both teams are 1-0 to start the season with huge expectations attached to them. For the Texans, it seems to be AFC Championship or bust, while the Bears are expecting Caleb Williams to ascend to the top of the league's quarterbacks in just his rookie year.

While that may be more of a Bears fans' expectation, the fact is that people have high expectations for the young man, be it fans, coaches, teammates, or pundits alike. It's going to make for one interesting encounter. An encounter that we think we can predict.

Now, don't take these predictions seriously, but we're thinking this is how the tea leaves are shaking out.

Joe Mixon won't match his Week 1 success but will break the century mark.

Joe Mixon had the third-best game of his career in Week 1's matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, so to expect him to repeat that same success in two straight weeks is unrealistic. That said, his outing against the Colts has me and others very optimistic about his fit in the offense. It's likely he has a more conventional game and won't have as many carries, but he should still be super effective.

The defense will eliminate the big pass plays but they still won't look great.

We're optimistic that Week 1 was a fluke for the defense. It still has issues, as we've pointed that out all offseason and training camp. Yet, with how bad Caleb Williams has looked, we're of the mindset that the Texans can rebound against a poorly-performing quarterback.

The Houston Texans will have a controlling victory, but the Bears will keep it close.

This game is likely "close-ish" heading into halftime. Something like 17-7, Texans. So we wouldn't be surprised if the final score was 24-14 or something akin to that. The Bears defense is tough but the offense has issues and the Texans should be able to have a similar performance this week as opposed to last week. So expect a hugely lop-sided time of possession.