Week 1: Bears vs Texans

No one listed as "out" and from what I've read the NFL did away with the "probable" status.

K Fuller, will he be starting if he's a go?

NFL Week 1: Keys for Chicago Bears defense vs. Houston Texans
by Bryan Perez

The new-look Bears’ defense will take the field for the first time in the 2016 regular season against the Houston Texans. The improved inside linebackers and defensive line will need to set the tone early in the game and give the ball back to the offense to have any chance in pulling off the upset at NRG Stadium.

Here are three keys for the Bears’ defense against the Texans.

Make Brock Osweiler uncomfortable all game

While getting after the quarterback may seem like an obvious defensive strategy, it’s even more important for the Bears to get into Osweiler’s head early in his first game as the Texans’ starting quarterback. Osweiler was signed to a $72 million contract by Houston this offseason, and with big money comes big expectations. He’ll be playing with the weight of his contract on his shoulders which should lead to some early-game jitters.

Willie Young, Lamarr Houston and rookie Leonard Floyd need to pin their ears back and pressure Osweiler from the first series on. Free-agent addition Akiem Hicks has to do his part, too, especially as a clean-up guy in the middle if the edge rushers force Osweiler to step up into the pocket.

Osweiler has only 305 career passes under his belt, so he’s far from a seasoned NFL passer. He’s going to make some errant decisions in this one, especially if Chicago can get him to panic a bit. If Osweiler has time to throw, the Bears will be in big, big trouble.
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Secondary must keep DeAndre Hopkins in check

Ok, easier said than done, especially when considering Hopkins tallied 1,521 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2015. Hopkins had three games of at least 148 yards last year and three contests with at least two touchdowns. Simply put, the Bears can’t let him have one of those days.

Chicago’s cornerbacks aren’t talented enough to shut down Hopkins in single coverage, so defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will have to do whatever’s necessary to roll the defense to wherever Hopkins is lined up.

Hopkins is the kind of talent who can’t be stopped completely. But the Bears have to contain him. Chicago can give him eight catches for 100 yards. That won’t beat them. But if they let Hopkins make field-flipping impact catches, they’ll have a hard time slowing down the Texans’ attack.
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Dec 27, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Chicago Bears defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26-21. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
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Don’t give Lamar Miller the cut-back

New Texans running back Lamar Miller is a deceptive home-run hitter who can stick a dagger in the heart of the Bears’ defense if each player doesn’t stay true to their assignment. The linebackers can’t over-pursue and the safeties have to make the tackle if in position to do so. If Miller gets past the second level of the defense, he has the ‘juice’ needed to take it to the house.

Miller isn’t a guy who’s known as a volume-carry runner, but that’s partly because of how he was used in Miami. You can expect the Texans to feed him the ball in Week 1, which increases the opportunities he’ll have to make an impact run. The Bears’ backside defenders will be some of the most important on every Miller touch. If they get caught out of position, Miller will torch the defense.

Eddie Goldman, Mitch Unrein and Hicks have to set the tone against the Texans’ offensive line and frustrate Miller to the point where he tries — too hard — to make something happen. When running backs try to do too much on their own, they tend to take away from their effectiveness.

Remember all the excitement after the Bears signed inside linebackers Jerrell Freeman and Danny Trevathan in March? Week 1 will quickly prove how important that investment was.

If Miller builds any momentum in the run game, the Bears will be in the impossible position of picking their poison: Focus on stopping Miller or keeping their attention on DeAndre Hopkins. Frustrating Miller and the Texans’ running game will have a positive ripple effect for the rest on Chicago’s defense.

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It'll be interesting to see who gets the start at RCB instead of Fuller. Prob. Callahan but Glenn or Hall might see action too.

Edit: Forgot about Callahan's groin issue. We might see Hall start. I never would have imagined that as a possibility even 1 month ago.