Observations from Texans-Bears

That was not how any Bears fan wanted the season to start.

At the half it really felt like the Bears were going the be all right after a rough preseason but then they were shutout in the second half en route to a 23-14 loss.

While it was a tough pill to swallow, the more talented team won. The Texans have been a playoff team and have one of the best defensive units in the league. The Bears are still in a rebuild and were playing their offensive line combination for the first time in a game.

There are going to be some growing pains with this team. Luckily they have an extra day to prep for the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football.

Here are some things we learned about the Bears during their loss yesterday.

John Fox coached a clunker

Photo by Thomas B. Shea/Getty Images

Fox, a coach who has proven to have his team ready to play throughout his first season in Chicago and certainly did yesterday but some of his in-game decisions are deserving of praise. For starters his non-challenge of a spot after it appeared pretty clearly that Brock Osweiler had come up short on a sneak play and then his decision to challenge on a clear-cut reception were baffling. His decision to go for it on fourth down was certainly bold for the normally conservative coach, but putting his rookie center in a pressure spot back-fired.

Kevin White is not ready for primetime

The long-awaited debut of the team’s 2015 first round pick did not go well. White was targeted a team-high seven times but caught just three passes for 34 yards. He dropped a couple and his bad day was highlighted by a terrible route where he just stopped and watched the defender who had been covering him finish it for him and intercept Jay Cutler.

There is going to be a learning curve and growing pains are expected for White after he missed his entire rookie season and didn’t run a complex route tree in college. However, White’s first game showed it could be a long year for the wideout.

The new inside linebackers are already worth it

Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images

Both of the Bears new inside linebackers looked as advertised in their debut as Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman combined for 28 tackles against Houston. Freeman led the team with nine solo tackles and a TFL. Trevathan finished the game with 11 tackles, a sack, a TFL and a QB hit. Trevathan was flying around the field and constantly around the ball. Trevathan and Freeman look like they are going to be well worth their contracts this season.

Eddie Royal deserved to make the squad

The oft-injured receiver managed to snag four catches for 57 yards and a TD, the most yards he’s had in a Bears uniform. Royal caught some big third-down passes to keep drives alive and looked like he still had a connection with Cutler after so much time apart last season. A lot of fans and analysts were tweeting their regrets about wishing he would be cut in favor of Daniel Braverman. It was just one game and Royal has to stay healthy, but when he’s on the field he’s going to be a key player for Chicago.

The offensive line is still in flux

The offensive line struggled mightily yesterday against one of the best defensive lines in the league. Bobby Massie was a particularly weak link, giving up big pressures from J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus. The line is going to struggle for another couple games while they learn to play together. The Bears allowed 13 QB hits and five sacks, not a good way to start the season.