The second half of the Bears' schedule is filled with big and meaningful games, but for now none looms larger than the Sunday night showdown with Houston.
Both teams will kick off the night with identical 7-1 records, and it could perhaps be a Super Bowl preview.For the Bears, nothing is going to be more important offensively than protecting the football and keeping Jay Cutler safe.
In order to do that they'll need to slow down NFL sack leader J.J. Watt and a very talented and aggressive front seven.
Watt is a 6-foot-5, 295-pound ball of fire that is unlike any player the Bears have seen this season.
The Houston defense actually ranks ahead of the Bears in some key statistical categories.
-- Total defense: Texans 3rd; Bears 6th-- Rush defense: Texans 2nd; Bears 6th-- Pass defense: Texans 4th; Bears 16th
It could be a game that Jay Cutler and company have to show patience and not force the ball when plays are not there. This is not a game they can get behind and expect to deliver a big comeback.
The next two games will tell a lot about where the Bears stack up against two of the other teams considered the best in the NFL. It also may be an indication of how the offense handles two defenses that really create havoc for the opposition.
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