Bears vs. Texans: 5 things to watch in Week 3

After matchups with two of the best in the NFC, the 49ers and the Packers, in Weeks 1 and 2, the Bears have a favorable stretch coming up the next month.

They will start it off with the Houston Texans this week. Beyond that, they have the Giants, the Vikings and the Commanders. This could be a key stretch for Matt Eberflus' 2022 Bears. This is one of the few games in which the Bears are favored.

Lovie Smith will return to Soldier Field as the head coach of the Texans. He last coached an NFL team at Soldier Field when his Tampa Bay Buccaneers visited in 2014.

By virtue of being in opposite conferences, the Bears and Texans have played only five times since the Texans' inaugural season in 2002. Until 2020, the Bears were winless against Houston. They beat quarterback Deshaun Watson and the Texans at Soldier Field in December 2020, improving to 1-4 all time against Houston.

Here's what to watch for in the latest edition of this series. The Bears (1-1) and Texans (0-1-1) square off at noon on CBS.

1. Will the Bears throw it more?

Justin Fields has attempted only 28 passes in two games. Some NFL quarterbacks might hit that mark in two quarters.

Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy was unconcerned by what the box score said following last week's loss to Green Bay. Yes, Fields attempted only 11 passes, but the Bears ran only 41 plays for the game. Getsy estimated he called 19 or 20 pass plays. Fields simply scrambled on several of them and he was sacked three times.

"It's our job each week as we evaluate the opponent, what gives us the best chance to succeed and where are our matchups favorable to us," Getsy said. "Obviously, last week we felt like there were parts of the run game where we felt like we had a pretty good matchup."

Fans certainly want to see Fields air the ball out more, but that doesn't necessarily mean he will this week against Houston.

2. What if Roquan Smith doesn't play?

Bears linebacker Roquan Smith sat out practice several days this week with a hip injury and is questionable for Sunday's game. It's unclear when the injury happened. Smith played all 68 defensive snaps for the Bears last week against Green Bay.

Even though he might be off to a bit of a slow start, the Bears are not worried about Smith's lack of big plays through the first two games. If he's unable to play Sunday, that will be a huge absence for the Bears defense.

Up next on the depth chart would likely be Lake Zurich native Jack Sanborn. Linebacker Joe Thomas might get pulled up from the practice squad with linebacker Matt Adams (hamstring) already ruled out.

3. Houston's dangerous rookie running back

Like the Bears, the Texans are in rebuilding mode. One of the exciting new additions for their team is rookie running back Dameon Pierce. The fourth-round draft pick out of Florida has 102 rushing yards on 26 carries (3.9 yards per attempt) through two games this season.

Pierce has the potential to power this offense, which lacks firepower elsewhere. His workload increased from Week 1 to Week 2 and it could continue to grow as his coaches gain more confidence in the rookie.

The Bears defense currently ranks last among NFL teams at stopping the run, allowing 189.5 yards per game through two games.

4. Does Lucas Patrick return to center?

The Bears could be about to shuffle things up on the offensive line. Lucas Patrick, who has been playing with a thumb injury, returned to snapping the football this week in practice. That likely signals a return to center. Patrick played right guard in each of the last two games, rotating with Teven Jenkins at the position.

The Bears brought Patrick here to be their starting center, so they want him back in that spot when he is able. That makes things more uncertain at right guard. The coaching staff has been impressed by Sam Mustipher, who had been taking reps at right guard prior to Patrick's injury. Jenkins has also been a pleasant surprise at right guard.

5. Will Mooney and Kmet be involved?

Receiver Darnell Mooney and tight end Cole Kmet have been virtually absent in the passing game during the Bears' first two games. If the passing attack is going to improve, they need to be a part of it. Mooney and Kmet both sounded unconcerned this week when speaking about their lack of production.

"Obviously, I'm a receiver," Mooney said. "I want to catch the ball. I want the ball for sure, but you have to be a team guy as well."

Don't be surprised if the Bears make an effort to throw toward Mooney and Kmet early in Sunday's game.