HOUSTON — For the second straight week, the Chicago Bears fell behind by double digits and were carried by their defense in a game that played out much like their season opener. When the Bears needed Caleb Williams and the offense to come through on the final drive of Sunday Night Football, the unit couldn’t get the ball past midfield and the result was a 19-13 loss to the Houston Texans.

After throwing for 93 yards in the Bears’ Week 1 win over the Tennessee Titans, Williams was better in moments against the Texans but struggled on a night when the spotlight exposed Chicago’s pass protection and run game woes. The quarterback was pressured on 35 percent of his dropbacks in Houston, while Chicago’s run game yielded 71 yards on 22 attempts, including five scrambles by Williams for 44 yards.

“When it finally clicks and we’re all in the same cylinder, then it’s good,” wide receiver DJ Moore said. “Right now, we’re still building — what can I say? — we’re building a puzzle together. Until we get that puzzle together, it’s going to be a road of ups and downs.”

Williams completed 23 of 37 passes for 174 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions and was sacked seven times. The Bears’ lone touchdown drive came before halftime, when Williams took Chicago to the red zone — its second trip inside the red zone in two games — and capped an eight-play, 49-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run from Khalil Herbert.

For an offense that entered the 2024 season with high expectations, allowing just 353 yards in two weeks feels like a struggle from the past.

“It’s frustrating,” tight end Cole Kmet said. “I feel like I’ve had this for a couple of years. We understood that this was going to be a little bit of a process, so we’ve got a lot of work (to do). The reality of the NFL is starting to hit us a little bit offensively. We’ve got to get back here and look at the mistakes we made last week, last game, and make those corrections and move forward with it.”

According to Next Gen Stats, the Texans generated 23 pressures on 48 pass attempts, including Williams recording seven sacks. The quarterback reported no significant injury after the game.

“I’m a little bruised,” Williams said. “I took a few knocks today. I’m going to get in ice baths and do whatever I have to do to make sure my body is ready for tomorrow and practice and obviously the next game.”

Through two games, Williams has completed 14 percent of his passes while under pressure. The Bears have struggled to generate a downfield passing attack, as Williams is 0-for-11 on throws traveling at least 15 yards downfield against the Titans and Texans, with all of those throws missing the target.

Williams committed his first turnover of the season when Houston cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. intercepted a pass intended for Moore in the third quarter. The Texans then extended their lead to nine after Ka’imi Fairbairn connected on a 53-yard field goal.

The rookie threw another interception early in the fourth quarter while escaping a sack attempt by defensive end Danielle Hunter, who ripped Williams’ jersey in the process. Williams lobbed a deep ball into triple coverage while looking for Kmet and was intercepted by Kamari Lassiter.

“There were some spots where I think he really did a good job of driving up in the pocket and making some good throws, so there’s some real positives to look at,” coach Matt Eberflus said. “Plus, he was able to evade the rush a couple of times and get to the perimeter a couple of times. And then he’s got to be careful with the ball after he gets there when he’s throwing the ball in a scramble drill. So great learning opportunities for him in terms of the pressure you’re talking about, what you’ve got to do and when you’ve got to do it.”