The Texans fell to the Bears on Sunday, 23-20, but the special teams units were excellent.
Desmond King II's lone punt return was a 31-yarder in the second quarter, and it set the Texans up with a 1st-and-10 at the Chicago 41-yard line. Four plays later, they were in the end zone with a Dameon Pierce touchdown run.
Cam Johnston punted five times, and all five were downed inside the Bears' 20-yard line. Chicago return man Dante Pettis returned two of those punts for a grand total of a yard, so the coverage unit did it's job. Johnston's gross was 48.4 yards per punt, and his net was 48.2.
On 4th-and-1 in the third quarter, down 20-17 and at their own 46-yard line, Johnston and the Texans lined up to punt. But upback M.J. Stewart, who entered the game with a team-best four special teams tackles in the first two games, took the direct snap and plowed ahead for a 3-yard gain and a first down. Houston wound up tying the game later in the drive with a Ka'imi Fairbairn 23-yard field goal.
Fairbairn connected on an earlier attempt from 39, made both extra points, and on kickoffs he had a pair of touchbacks. But on the three the Bears returned, the Texans kickoff units dropped Trestan Ebner at the 20, 18 and 22-yard lines.
Of Chicago's 12 drives, the Bears got the ball via punt or kickoff 10 times. Their best starting field position on those 10 possessions was their own 25-yard line, and their average starting point was just shy of the 17-yard line (16.9).
