3 takeaways from Texans-Bears, including Dick Butkus improvising on the mic

Also, checking in on cornerback Jaylon Johnson and a look at the last time a Bears quarterback played this badly and still won.

By Jason Lieser

A photo of Bears Hall of Famer Dick Butkus watching a game at Soldier Field in 2019. — Dick Butkus, shown here attending a Bears game in 2019, was at Soldier Field for Bears-Texans on Sunday.

The Bears have a lot to sort through after scraping by the Texans 23-20 on Sunday, starting with quarterback Justin Fields’ ugly game and running back David Montgomery’s leg injury.

Here are three takeaways from the win:

Johnson out

The Bears’ top cornerback, Jaylon Johnson, missed the game with a quad injury. Johnson, who played nearly every snap in the first two games, got hurt in practice and was inactive against the Texans.

More of the same

Fields was hardly the first Bears quarterback to have a nightmarish performance and still win. It’s a bit of a tradition around here. The last one to post a sub-30 passer rating and escape with victory was Todd Collins in 2010. He completed 6 of 16 passes for 32 yards and threw four interceptions for a 6.2 rating in the Bears’ 23-6 over the Panthers.

Butkus ad-libs

Bears great Dick Butkus made an appearance during the game and after waxing poetic about his years playing at Soldier Field, he looked incredulous as he blurted, “And now we’re moving to Arlington Heights?” Butkus also improvised during a sponsored toast to the crowd. When the setup was, “May our team be...” Butkus finished the sentence with, “Get better.”