2024 Hall of Fame Game: Bears beat Texans 21-17 in game shortened by storms

By Barry Wilner
Special to the Pro Football Hall of Fame

In a year when DEVIN HESTER will be enshrined in Canton, doesn’t it make total sense that the focus of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game to open the NFL preseason would be on kickoffs?

Of course it does.

With Hester, the first primarily kick returner to enter the Hall, looking on, the Chicago Bears – for whom he dominated on special teams – and Houston Texans got things going Thursday night. With starters, including Bears top overall draft pick quarterback Caleb Williams and Texans 2023 Rookies of the Year quarterback C.J. Stroud and defensive end Will Anderson generally unoccupied, the most intriguing angle to the contest was the NFL’s set of rules changes in hopes of reinvigorating kickoff runbacks while keeping player safety a priority.

As Chicago beat Houston 21-17 in a game abbreviated by storms, what could have looked like kickoff chaos actually resembled the recent past on such plays: few yards gained. Nothing to impress Hester, for sure.

The most impactful plays were made by veterans such as Houston running back Cam Akers, coming off an Achilles tendon injury, and quarterback Case Keenum. Akers made several keen moves on a 70-yard drive he concluded with a 4-yard touchdown reception from Keenum to make it 17-7.

Then Chicago’s attack also rolled to lengthy drives behind sixth-year QB Brett Rypien. His 9-yard throw to Collin Johnson lifted the Bears into their first lead, 21-17, on the opening possession of the second half.

“Collin had a really good game,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said, describing a 47-yard catch as “outstanding.”

With 3:31 left in the third quarter, rain began pelting the stadium and, when lightning was seen, the game was suspended.

Both teams had been alerted that weather might be a factor.

“They said we would do 30 minutes (delay) and would let you know,” Bears Coach Matt Eberflus said. “They had a plan in place to watch it. They might the right move with lightning in the area.”

A release from the NFL stated: "Severe weather has resulted in the termination of tonight’s game. The decision was made by the NFL in New York in consultation with local public safety officials."

Attendance for the game was announced at 17,528.

Houston opened the night with a 13-play, 74-yard touchdown drive that would have looked good in midseason. Former starting quarterback Davis Mills capped it with a 9-yard pass to tight end Teagan Quitoriano for a quick 7-0 lead.

It became 10-0 on Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 33-yard field goal to finish off another 74-yard march as the Texans, the AFC South winners last season, looked sharp with the ball. But so did Chicago on its next drive as Rypien hit wide-open Collin Johnson for a 20-yard score. Johnson also made a spectacular leaping 47-yard catch that led to Tommy Sweeney’s 23-yard TD reception just 58 seconds after Akers’ score. The offensive splurge, usually rare in August games but highly entertaining Thursday night, made it 17-14 at halftime.

“The two-minute drive at the end of the half was nice,” Eberflus said. “Coming out and scoring again (after halftime) was really good.”

He was most concerned about the simple things in the preseason opener.

“You’re looking at fundamentals and basics from the whole group,” Eberflus added. “The energy was really good and the intensity was good. This time of year you have to work on the basics.”

Bears rookie free agent linebacker Carl Jones Jr. impressed with eight tackles.

Hester has said he doesn’t believe the league would have made such kickoff alterations if he was still active. But he is happy that his successors as returners should get more opportunities to break open games the way he regularly did on his way to three All-Pro teams, the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 2010s, and the NFL All-Time 100 squad.

“I feel like this will open up more doors to guys,” he said on NFL Network. “You’re going to start seeing guys being recruited as returners. I am excited; a guy like me would love to be in this position.”

For those unaware of the moderations to kickoff returns being used in a one-year trial, here goes:

• The ball is kicked from the 35-yard line, 10 kick coverage players being lined up at the opposition 40, five on each side of the field.
• The return team must have at least nine blockers lined up between its 30- and 35-yard line, at least seven of them touching the 35.
• Two returners are allowed inside their 20.
• Only the kicker and the two returners – some teams might use only one -- can move until the ball hits the ground or is touched by a returner inside the 20.

Various rules about touchbacks also are involved, with the league eager to eliminate them; less than 22 percent of all kickoffs were returned in 2023.

The Bears have two inductees this year, with defensive tackle/nose tackle STEVE McMICHAEL joining Hester. Houston is represented for the first time – the Texans joined the league in 2002 – by wide receiver ANDRE JOHNSON. Also to be enshrined Saturday are defensive end/outside linebacker DWIGHT FREENEY, who starred for the Colts; defensive end/linebacker JULIUS PEPPERS, who made his biggest impact for the Panthers and also played for Chicago; linebacker PATRICK WILLIS of the 49ers; and linebacker RANDY GRADISHAR of the Broncos – the leader of Denver’s famed Orange Crush defense.

All except McMichael, who is living with ALS, were on hand Thursday night. He was represented by his wife, Misty. All seven walked a gauntlet formed by both teams prior to the game, drawing warm cheers from fans, most of them wearing Bears blue and Texans red or blue. Hester brought the loudest reaction.

Imagine if he had been on the field returning kicks.