Bears 'relentless pursuit' knocks down Deshaun Watson again and again

CHICAGO – Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson took a shot from Bears linebacker Roquan Smith late in the third quarter Sunday at Soldier Field.

Watson remained on the turf for a few minutes as trainers came to check on him. It wasn't a sack, Watson had released a pass just in time, but it was emblematic of the day the Bears defense had in Sunday's 36-7 win over the Texans.

With the Watson vs. Mitch Trubisky showdown stealing all the headlines pregame, the Bears defense – coming off two rough performances – might have felt forgotten about. It showed Sunday why it is still more than capable.

The Bears totaled 11 QB hits and seven sacks, six against Watson and one against AJ McCarron when Watson had to leave the game for one play following the hit from Smith. Watson did return after being briefly shaken up.

Bears outside linebacker Khalil Mack forced and recovered a fumble, he also sacked Watson in the end zone for a safety in the first half. Mack hadn’t had a sack since Nov. 1.

Even when Mack isn’t sacking the quarterback, he’s affecting plays. But the Bears have to like it when he finishes a play.

“He’s been doing that all year long in a lot of different ways,” Nagy said. “He’s had a couple sacks called back from him, but that’s a part of the game. Trust me, man, he wants it and he showed it today and he’s going to continue to keep doing that.”

The Bears didn't make Mack available to the media after the game.

Inside linebacker Danny Trevathan said the Bears defense feeds off Mack. The second-quarter safety put the Bears up, 16-7, and was two of 16 consecutive points for the Bears. Mack and Smith beat their men and collapsed on Watson nearly simultaneously.

Even though Mack missed two days of practice this week with a shoulder injury, and was limited during Friday’s practice, he still impacted the game.

“That’s what we expect him to do,” Trevathan said. “He had a big game and he came out with the right mind set all week and executed his plays. A lot of guys stepped up when they tried to double him and we had a lot of sacks today.”

Mack might've spurred the effort, but contributions came from everywhere on the Bears defense. Smith had two sacks and led the Bears with 12 total tackles. Defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. recorded two sacks. Defensive linemen Brent Urban and Bilal Nichols had a sack each.

On special teams, Sherrick McManis forced a fumble on a Bears punt, recovered by Josh Woods.

With Trubisky and the offense rolling, too, it was good vibes on the Bears sideline in all three facets of the game.

“Today was just how it looked when a team plays complimentary football,” receiver Allen Robinson said. “When the defense gets sacks, a safety and we follow it up with a score, we end the half with the ball and end up scoring, then coming back in the third quarter and getting a field goal – for us, I thought we played complimentary football today. Our defense has been playing great throughout the season.”

On the game’s first possession, Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano dialed up a well-timed blitz on third-and-8 near midfield. It forced Watson into a quick throw, which fell incomplete and forced a punt.

It was the perfect moment for such a blitz from a coordinator who doesn’t blitz much. It was exactly what the Bears needed after two stale performances in losses to Green Bay and Detroit.

It was a sign of things to come for the Bears, who kept finding ways to pressure Watson.

“Especially against a very mobile quarterback in Watson, not many people get to sack him often,” Smith said. “But I just felt like it was relentless pursuit from everyone — D-line, linebackers. Good things happen when we hustle to the ball.”