Two of the brightest young quarterbacks in the NFL will duel under the prime-time lights of "Sunday Night Football" in Week 2.
C.J. Stroud, last year's NFL offensive rookie year, will lead the Houston Texans against the Chicago Bears and Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in April's NFL draft.
Both teams are coming into Sunday night's game with 1-0 records – even if it wasn't all that pretty.
Williams threw for just 93 yards and failed to record a touchdown during the Bears' 24-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans in Week 1. Meanwhile, the Texans got two touchdowns from Stefon Diggs and 150 rushing yards from Joe Mixon to get past the Indianapolis Colts.
First quarter
Texans field goal (10:20) — Ka'imi Fairbairn, 56 yards
Bears field goal (3:51) — Cairo Santos, 53 yards
Second quarter
Texans touchdown (14:55) — Niko Collins, 28-yard pass from C.J. Stroud (Ka'imi Fairbairn extra point)
➤ Game stats
Texans' Offense Shines Early
Texans WR Nico Collins is making his presence known early.
Collins produced three catches, 52 yards and a touchdown on during Houston’s eight-play, 77-yard TD drive.
The Texans have scored on both their possessions to start the game.
C.J. Stroud is 8-of-10 passing for 92 yards and a touchdown early in the second quarter.
The Texans have a 10-3 advantage. — Tyler Dragon
Williams Looks More Comfortable Than Week 1
Bears rookie QB Caleb Williams is off to a much better start than Week 1.
Williams completed his first five passes during an 11-play, 42-yard drive. However, the drive ended when Williams was sacked by Texans edge rushers Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. on third down.
Chicago was able to tie the ballgame up after kicker Cairo Santos hit a 53-yard field goal. Santos barely made the long field goal. The football hit the camera at the bottom of the goal post and bounced between the upright.
The game is all even at 3-3 with 3:51 left in the first quarter. — Tyler Dragon
Texans Take Early Lead
The Texans scored the first points of the night in their home opener.
C.J. Stroud led Houston on an eight-play drive that resulted in a 56-yard field goal by kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn.
Running back Joe Mixon had two touches for 24 yards during the Texans’ opening series.
The Texans have a 3-0 lead early in the first period. — Tyler Dragon
Where to Watch and Stream the Game
The game will air on NBC and Peacock. The game is also available to stream for free on Fubo.
Mike Tirico (play-by-play) and Cris Collinsworth (analyst) will be on the call, with Melissa Stark adding reports from the field for NBC.
Inactives for the Game
Both rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze (knee) and six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen (heel) were listed by the Bears as questionable for Sunday night's game against the Texans. While Odunze is available, Allen is inactive for the game.
Bears' inactive players:
Texans' inactive players:
Betting Odds and Expert Picks
The Texans are favorites to defeat the Bears, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promos in 2024.
Here are the USA TODAY Sports' expert picks for the game:
A Look Back at Caleb Williams' NFL Debut
Caleb Williams accomplished a rare feat in Week 1, becoming the first No. 1 overall quarterback selection to win his NFL debut since David Carr with the Houston Texans in 2002.
Williams' debut was less than ideal statistically — 14 completions on 29 attempts for 93 yards and no touchdowns in a 24-17 win over the Tennessee Titans.
David Carr's win came in the inaugural game for the expansion Texans, a 19-10 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Before Williams' win last week, the past 15 No. 1 picks who were quarterbacks were a combined 0-14-1 in their first starts, beginning with the Cincinnati Bengals' Carson Palmer in 2003.
The NFL's Highest-Paid Players
The NFL's top 18 players in average annual salary are all quarterbacks, according to OverTheCap.com. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott became the league's highest-paid player on the season's opening Sunday, agreeing to a four-year, $240 million deal. Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is the first non-quarterback on the highest-paid list after striking a four-year, $140 million contract extension this offseason.
We have a complete list at every position:
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How to Watch the Texans-Bears Game
For Week 2, two north and south rivals go head-to-head as the Chicago Bears face off against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on Sunday, Sept. 15. The game kickoffs at 8:20 p.m. ET/5:20 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock.
Since “Sunday Night Football” broadcasts on NBC, the game is also available to watch online with web-based cable alternatives, like DirecTV Stream — which starts at $59.99 with the streamer’s current deals and offers a 5-day free trial for new subscribers.
NBC is available with a subscription to Fubo, Hulu + Live TV and Sling Blue (depending on your local TV market). Additionally, “Sunday Night Football” livestreams on Peacock for subscribers only.
Not a subscriber? You can purchase the livestream feed of the game starting at $7.99/Month for the ad-supported plan, or $79.99/Year when you sign up for an annual subscription here. In addition, you can go ad-free for $13.99/Month, or $139.99/Year for the annual plan.
Aside from “Sunday Night Football” and the NFL on NBC games, Peacock is the home to other sports leagues, including the Premiere League, PGA, NASCAR, IMSA, Big Ten Football, WWE and more. It’s also where you can find hit movies and TV shows, such as “Back to Black,” “Abigail,” “Oppenheimer,” “Lisa Frankenstein,” “Love Island USA,” “Bel-Air,” “The Traitors,” “The Killer,” “Mr. Throwback” and others.
Tickets to See the Texans and Bears
Tickets to the game are still available on Ticket Network, VividSeats.com and SeatGeek. In fact, you can save $150 off when you spend $500 with promo code VARIETY150, or $300 off when you spend $1,000 with promo code VARIETY300 at TicketNetwork.com.
In addition, last-minute tickets are still available on resale sites like Vivid Seats and SeatGeek. You can use code VAR2024 to take $20 off your ticket purchase at VividSeats.com, or you can use promo code VARIETY10 to save $10 at SeatGeek.com.
Starting at 8:20 p.m. ET/5:20 p.m. PT, “Sunday Night Football:” Chicago Bears vs. Houston Texans broadcasts on NBC via DirecTV Stream and livestreams on Peacock.
Bears vs. Texans Betting Odds and Predictions
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The Business of Entertainment NEW! Find where to watch all of your favorite sports!
Tyler Fulghum details why he likes the under for D'Andre Swift's rushing yards when the Bears take on the Texans on Sunday. (0:38)
"Sunday Night Football" features the reigning offensive rookie of the year against this season's favorite when C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans host Caleb Williams (+165) and the Chicago Bears.
Coming off a 3-13-1 campaign, the Texans drafted Stroud No. 2 overall in 2023 and went from the AFC South basement to division champs last season. The Bears, coming off a 7-10 season in which they tied with Minnesota for the worst mark in the NFC North, are hoping for a similar turnaround under their first-year quarterback.
The Texans (-320 to make the playoffs) squeaked past the Indianapolis Colts last week and are nearly a touchdown favorite in Week 2 against the Bears (+115 to make the playoffs), a squad that rode its defense and special teams to a victory over the Tennessee Titans last Sunday.
Odds current as of publish time, courtesy of ESPN BET
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Spread: Texans -6.5 Money line: Bears (+225), Texans (-275) Over/Under: 45.5
First-half spread: Texans -3.5 (-115), Bears +3.5 (-105) Bears total points: 19.5 (Over -110/Under -120) Texans total points: 26.5 (Over -110/Under -120)
C.J. Stroud total passing yards: 274.5 (Over +110/Under -140) Stroud total passing TDs: 1.5 (Over -145/Under +115) Caleb Williams total passing yards: 224.5 (Over -105/Under -125) Williams total passing TDs: 1.5 (Over +150/Under -200)
Joe Mixon total rushing yards: 69.5 (Over -115/Under -115) D'Andre Swift total rushing yards: 44.5 (Over +105/Under -135)
Nico Collins total receiving yards: 69.5 (Over -100/Under -130) DJ Moore total receiving yards: 59.5 (Over -145/Under +115) Stefon Diggs total receiving yards: 49.5 (Over -125/Under +105) Tank Dell total receiving yards: 59.5 (Over +110/Under -140) Dalton Schultz total receiving yards: 29.5 (Over -120/Under -110)
Joe Mixon 70+ rushing yards (-110), Mixon 1+ TDs (-140), Caleb Williams under 224.5 passing yards (-125); All three parlayed (5-1)
Why the Under Is the Best Bet
Utilizing a balanced offense featuring an elite rushing attack, the Texans went on the road in Week 1 and defeated a tough Indianapolis Colts squad with playoffs aspirations. The Bears won their season debut at home against a rebuilding Tennessee Titans team, despite an anemic passing attack and a rushing defense that was consistently gouged by the Titans. These trends all come into play here.
While Stround and the Texans' passing attack were effective against the Colts, Houston leaned heavily on Mixon to lead the offense on the ground, and he responded with a career-high 30 carries for 159 yards and a touchdown. Defenses have to respect Stroud's elite passing, giving Mixon light fronts that he can exploit with his powerful running. The Bears, meanwhile, gave up 103 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries to the Titans' running backs, illustrating the unit's potential weakness against what was a much less-balanced and powerful offense than what they'll face Sunday.
On the other side of the ball, rookie quarterback Williams struggled through the air against the Titans in his regular-season debut, completing14 of 29 passes for only 93 yards despite facing a defense that ranks 21st in the NFL with a defensive FPI score of -0.3. The Texans are stronger on that side of the ball, ranking 11th in the league in defensive FPI. In Week 1, they held Anthony Richardson to only 9-for-19 passing for 212 yards, with more than half of that yardage coming on two long touchdown passes. Williams is early in his development and is unlikely to make such a big leap between Weeks 1 and 2 to more than double his passing yards on the road against a better defense. -- Andre Snellings
Betting Trends to Know
Courtesy ESPN Stats & Information
"Sunday Night Football" unders are 27-10 over the last three seasons. Prime-time unders are 71-44-1 during that span.
The Texans have not closed as at least 6-point favorites since Week 16 of 2020 (-7.5 vs. Cincinnati Bengals).
The Texans are 6-16-1 ATS as favorites since 2019. Stroud is 3-5 ATS as a favorite.
The Bears are 11-17 ATS as underdogs under head coach Matt Eberflus (14-27 ATS since 2021).
Since 2020, the Bears are 5-10 ATS in prime-time games.
