Houston Texans 21 - 17 Chicago Bears summary, stats, scores and highlights | NFL Hall of Fame Game

THAT'S GOING TO DO IT!!!

The game has been called due to a storm in the area!

The Chicago Bears win the Hall of Fame Game 21-17

Rypien and Johnson were the stories of the night. The QB made a big case for himself for the second string job, going 11/15 for 166 yards and three TDs, two of those to Johnson who had 3 catches for 56 yards. 

Rypien only had two incompletions going into the halftime break. They were both drops. He had as many TDs as he had incompletions after connecting with Tommy Sweeney to cut the lead to 3 points before the break. 

Johnson had a few spectacular catches throughout the night but none of them topped this one. This is a guy who was on the practice squad last year, but he might be going to sleep with a contract and a roster spot after his performance tonight. 

Cam Akers is coming off of his second torn achilles injury, but he looked like he was in mid season form, especially catching passes out of the backfield. He had 13 yards on five rushes, and 18 yards on 2 catches including this TD. 

Let's not forget one of the stories of the night, and the stories of this year. The new kickoff rule in the NFL is going to give us a lot of opportunity to see run backs. So far, so good. They came up with a solution to a problem that had plagued the league for the last couple years. This season there will be far fewer touchbacks and much more opportunities for big plays. 

No 1 overll pick Caleb Williams didn't get the start, neither did any of the Bears starters. Instead it was Tyson Bagnet that got the start, but he played just one series before Brett Rypien came over and dominated. He and Colin Johnson shined under the bright lights of Tom Benson Stadium in Canton. They connected on the first touchdown of the Bears' night, but that wasn't going to be the last time those two connected. 

The Texans rested all off their starters tonight, but it didn't look like it coming out of the gates. Davis Mills constructed a 14 play drive that led to 9 yard touchdown to Teagen Quitoriano. This might have been the first game of preseason, but DeMeco Ryans guys looked locked in. 

WE'VE GOT A WEATHER DELAY HERE FROM CANTON, OHIO!!!

There are storms in the area and lightening around the stadium. Let's see how long this last for. 

MISSED FIELD GOAL!!!

Fairbairn's 58 yard try in the rain just faded wide right of the upright. 

HOU keep their four point lead with 3:30 to go in the third quarter. 

Boyle looking for Brooks on the right side but that pass out of the backfield for Brooks falls incomplete. 

4th and 12 and the Texans will take a field goal from the CHI 40. 

Handoff to Jordan on the right side and he is wrapped up after a loss of two. 

3rd and 12 from the CHI 41.

Boyle looking over the middle for Johnson, but that pass came in a little low and skipped off the terf. 

2nd and 10 from the CHI 39.

FUMBLE!!!

Pettis dropped the punt and the Texans were right there to recover the loose ball!

1st and 10 from the CHI 36. 

Boyle finds Skowranek over the middle and he had to grab it with one hand, but got pushed back behind the line of scrimmage and is taken down for a loss of 3. 

4th and long and the Texans will punt. 

A couple false starts backs HOU up 10 yards, and Jordan gets three yards on a run up the middle. 

3rd and 17 from the HOU 24. 

Short pass from Boyle to Sims is incomplete. 

2nd and 10 from the HOU 31. 

Boyle in the backfield for HOY and he finds Sims on the deep out route for a 20 yard gain on the right sideline. 

1st and 10 from the HOU 31. 

The Texans take over from their 11 yard line and Jordan is stopped at the line of scrimmage on the first down run. 

2nd and 10 fro the HOU 11. 

After a false start on CHI, and on 3rd and 10, Reed finds Felton over the middle but he is brought down a yard short of the marker. 

4th and 1 from the CHI 31. 

Reed under center after a great shift from Rypien, and he finds Felton with a short pass out of the backfield for one yard. 

3rd and 5 from the CHI 27. 

Chicago takes over from their 22 yard line, and Felton picks up 4 yards on a run up the middle. 

2nd and 6 from the CHI 26. 

Slant pattern over the middle for Stover who makes the catch and picks up 15 yards but he's well short of the first down. 

4th and 11 from the CHI 29. 

Keenum's pass to the right side to Stover but that was batted away by Jones. 

3rd and 26 from the HOU 14. 

Keenum gets dropped in the backfield by Cowart and he lost the ball but it was recovered by the Texans. 

2nd and 26 from the HOU 14. 

Jordan gets the handoff to the right side and a flag flies for holding after he picked up a short gain of 2. 

2nd and 20 from the HOU 20. 

For the first time we have a touchback. This was fielded in the endzone which means the Texans will get it at the 30. 

1st and 10 from the HOU 30. 

Oh yea. We are going to be seeing plenty of Colin Johnson in a Bears uniform this season. This is his second TD, Rypien's third TD pass. 

Rypien going to the corner of the endzone for Johnson who couldn't make the catch on a pass that was a bit behind his back shoulder. 

3rd and 5 fro the HOU 9. 

Felton with the run to the left side and he bounces off a couple tackles for a gan of 5 yards. 

2nd and 5 from the HOU 9. 

Rypien escapes some pressure and finds Bates over the middle and he takes it for a 27 yard catch and run. 

1st and 10 from the HOU 14. 

The Texans challenge was successful so the ball gets taken back to the 41 for a 3rd and 5. 

Rypien going down the sideline for Johnson and he skies for it and reels it in for a gain of 15 yards, but Houston wants to challenge that call. 

Felton to the left side and he picks up 5 yards on first down. 

2nd and 5 from the HOU 41. 

Rypien over hte middle for Bates who makes the adjustment and drags in the catch for a gain of 20 yards. 

1st and 10 from the HOU 46. 

Short pass from Rypien to Swait who was pushed out of bounds after a gain of 2. 

2nd and 8 from the CHI 34. 

The Texans kickoff to the Bears and Jackson takes it to the CHI 32. 

1st and 10 from the CHI 32. 

WE ARE BACK IN PLAY FROM CANTON!!!

That catch set up this 22 yard find from Rypien to Sweeney who was wide open in the end zone to pull to within 3 before half. Rypien went 7/9 for 108 yards and two TDs in the first half. 

You might as well give Johnson a roster spot now after making plays like this, and scoring a TD. 

Cam Akers is coming off of a second torn achilles tendon, but he looks like he is ready to come in and make an impact in Houston. He's got 5 carries for 13 yards, but another 18 yards on 2 catches and this TD. 

Last year, Collin Johnson was on the practice squad for Chicago. If he keeps making plays like this, he'll be playing on Sundays. Brett Rypien came off the bench after Tyson Bagent got the start and a single series. Rypien had a great shift in that first half. 

The Texans came out swinging, building a 14 play opening drive led by Davis Mills who went 10/13 with this TD for Teagen Quitoriano. 

WE ARE AT HALFTIME HERE FROM TOM BENSON STADIUM!!!

That was a great first half. Very entertaining. Lots of points. Fun start to the preseason so far. 

Run to Taylor and he is swallowed up in the backfield for a loss of three yards. 

That's going to take us all the way to halftime here from Canton. 

The Texans gets the ball back from the 24 yard line after Johnson took the kick back 26 yards. 

1st and 10 from the HOU 24 with 40 seconds to go in the half. 

Rypien has two TD passes and two incompletions, both of which were drops. 

Rypien to the left side and Pettis makes the catch for an 11 yard gain. 

1st and 10 from the HOU 22. 

Rypien over the top on the sideline for Johnson and he goes up and snags it for a 27 yard catch!

1st and 10 from the HOU 33 with 56 seconds to go. 

JOhnson up the middle and he moves the chains with a 5 yard gain. 

1st and 10 from the CHI 40. 

Rypien over the middle with a quick pass to Sweeney for a gain of 7 yards. 

2nd and 3 from the CHI 35. 

Another kickoff, and the Bears will get it at their 28 after a nice rturn from Jackson. 

1st and 10 from the CHI 28 with 1:44 to go. 

TOUCHDOWN TEXANS!!!

Keenum sidesteps to the left side and he finds Akers scaling the end zone for the 4 yard touchdown!

HOU lead 17-7 with 1:44 to go in the first half!

Akers gets the carry to the right side and he cuts back for a gain of 5 yards. 

2nd and Goal from the CHI 4 and the Bears are going to take a timeout with 1:50 to go. 

Keenum with time in the pocket and he floats one out to Hutchinson on the right side for a gain of 20. 

1st and Goal from the 9. 

WE ARE AT THE TWO MINUTE WARNING HERE FROM CANTON!

Keenum dropped the shotgun snap, got it back and found Akers on the screen. He follows his blockers, spins out of a tackle and picks up 14 yards and a first down!

1st and 10 from the CHI 29. 

Akers to the right side and he is swallowed up for a loss of a yard. 

2nd and 11 from the CHI 43. 

Keenum with a strike over the middle of the field into the strid e of Hutchinson who gets a couple of hard fought yards after the catch for an 18 yard gain. 

1st and 10 from the CHI 42. 

Akers up the middle and he is stuffed for no gain by Blackwell. 

2nd and 10 from the HOU 40. 

Akers up the middle and he finds a pocket of space to pick up the first down on a 7 yard run. 

1st and 10 from the HOU 40. 

HOU gets the ball back from their 30 and Keenum finds Hairston on the flat route out of the backfield for 3 yards. 

2nd and 7 from the HOU 33. 

Ryipen's pass on the fade route to Pettis was a touch too high for the WR. 

4th and 5 and the Bears will punt. 

Johnson gets the handoff to the right side and he stumbles forward for a gain of 2 yards. 

3rd and 5 from the CHI 21. 

Rypien on the roll out to the left side and he finds Swain on the sideline for a short gain of 3 yards. 

2nd and 7 from the CHI 19. 

Carter returns the punt inside the 10 and takes it to the 16 before getting pushed out of bounds. 

1st and 10 from the CHI 16. 

Keenum looking over the middle to Metchie on the slant pattern but that was batted away by Jones. 

4th and 4 and the Texans will punt. 

Handoff to Akers on the left side and he picks up 2 yards to bring up 3rd and medium. 

3rd and 4 from the HOU 27. 

Keenum in the backfield and he finds Metchie on a short out route for a gain of 4 yards. 

2nd and 6 from the HOU 25. 

One more kickoff and this time Jordan takes it to the Houston 21 before tripping over his own feet. 

1st and 10 from the HOU 21. 

Herbert finds a hole up the middle and sprints for 18 yards and a first down!

1st and 10 from the HOU 29. 

Rypien throws a strike over the middle for Johnson and it hit him in the hands, but he couldn't corral it. 

2nd and 10 from the HOU 48. 

Rypien finds Sweeney over the middle, and he makes the catch before getting popped and fumbling. The Bears jump on the loose ball after the hit by Bullock 

1st and 10 from the HOU 48. 

Rypien finds Sweeney over the middle, and he makes the catch before getting popped and fumbling. The Bears jump on the loose ball after the hit by Bullock 

3rd and 7 from the CHI 41. 

Herbert gets the handoff again, and he takes it 3 yards on the left side on first down. 

2nd and 7 from the CHI 41. 

Rypien in the backfield and he tucks and runs after the drop back and picks up the first down on a 9 yard scramble up the middle. 

1st and 10 from the CHI 33. 

Herbert gets the handoff to the left side and he takes it for 4 yards on first down. 

2nd and 6 from the CHI 24. 

The third kick off of the night is taken back from the goal line and Scott got crushed on the 20 yard line. 

1st and 10 from the CHI 20. 

FIELD GOAL!!!

Fairbairn sneaks it inside the left upright and the Texans take a two possession lead!

HOU lead 10-0 with 12 minutes to go in the first half. 

Mills saw pressure coming and got it out quickly to Skowronek who was wrapped up short of the first down on the pass to the left side. 

4th and 3 from the CHI 15 and the field goal unit will come on. 

Mills rolls right but nothing was open downfield so he runs it out of bounds for a gain of 2. 

3rd and 7 from the CHI 19. 

Taylor picks up a yard on first down on a run to the left side. 

2nd and 9 from the CHI 21. 

Mills finds Ogunbowale out of the backfield and he sprints down the open field for a big gain of 15 yards. 

1st and 10 from the CHI 22. 

Here is the new Kick off in the NFL this season. I must say, I'm a fan. 

Short in route over the middle for Hutchinson and he had to stretch for the catch which held him up and limited him to a 3 yard gain. 

3rd and 7 from the CHI 37 after the change of quarter. 

Houston lead 7-0 after a fantastic opening drive to start their preseason. 

Out route to Sims on the left sideline and Jones almost picked that pass off after sniffing it out. 

2nd and 10 from the CHI 40. 

MIlls jukes out of the pressure after the play action and he finds Skowronek for a big gain of 27 yards over the middle. 

1st and 10 from the CHI 40. 

Taylor gets another hand off and he takes it for a short gain of 2. 

2nd and 8 from the HOU 32. 

Taylor bursts up the middle for a first down as he broke into the secondary. 

1st and 10 from the HOU 30. 

Nice strike from Mills to Hutchinson over the middle on the slant and he is flirting with the marker, but that will bring up 3rd and short. 

3rd and 1 from the HOU 20. 

HOU get the ball back at the 11 and Taylor gets the handoff to the right side for a gain of maybe a yard. 

2nd and 9 from the HOU 12. 

A false start is gong to push the Bears out of range to go for it, and the punt unit will come out. 

1st and 10 Texans from inside their own 20. 

Johnson gets the handoff on 3rd and short and was hit in the backfield but battled back to the line of scrimmage. 

4th and 1 and the Bears will go for it. 

Johnson up the middle and he makes a move for a gain of 5 before getting tripped up before the marker. 

3rd and 1 fro the HOU 46.

Scott gets the handoff to the right side and he gets tripped up after a gain of 4. 

2nd and 6 from the HOU 42. 

Bagent finds Carloson on the stop route for a first down in HOU territory. 

1st and 10 from the HOU 46. 

Screen play set up for Johnson and he takes it up the left sideline for a gain of 7. 

3rd and 3 from the CHI 44. 

Bagent rolls to the right side but threw it into the dirt after heavy pressure was in his face. 

2nd and 10 from the CHI 37. 

Sweep to the left side for Johnson and he takes it 3 yards for a first down.

1st and 10 from the CHI 37. 

Run up the middle for Johnson and he picks up 8 yards on first down. 

2nd and 2 from the CHI 34. 

The second kick off of the night goes to the Bears, and we get another return! I'm telling you, I like this rule. It's going to be exciting this year. 

1st and 10 from the CHI 26. 

That drive couldn't have gone much better for the Houston Texans and Davis Mills. The back ups might be in, but they look in mid season form. 

Nice hole for Taylor who hit it on the right side for a gain of 5 on first down. 

2nd and 5 from the CHI 9. 

Mills looking over the top for Ogunbowle on the wheel route and flags fly as he was being held by Baskerville. 

1st and 10 from the CHI 14. 

Broken play out of the shot gun and Mills got crushed by Kareem for a loss of two. 

3rd and 4 from the CHI 19. 

Hutchinson gets the pitch to the left side and he is pushed out of bounds after a gain of 8. 

2nd and 2 from the CHI 17. 

Mills looks to the right side and he finds Stover on the stop route before turning up field and picking up 11 yards. 

1st and 10 from the CHI 25. 

Ogunbowale up the middle and he moves the chains with a 3 yard run. 

1st and 10 from the CHI 36. 

Mills steps up in the pocket and finds Ogunbowale right at the marker but he is dragged down just short. 

4th and 1 and the Texans are going to go for it. 

Mills rolls the to left side looking for Skowronek on the sideline, but e dropped it and the Texans at looking at 3rd and long. 

3rd and 7 from the CHI 45

Ounbowale up the middle on first down and he picks up a short gain of three. 

2nd and 7 from the CHI 45. 

Short out route from Quitoriano and he bobbles the catch before securing it and taking it up field for a gain of 12. 

1st and 10 from the CHI 48. 

Mills with a dart over the middle for Hutchinson and that one hit right off his hands and slipped out as he fell to ground. 

2nd and 10 from the HOU 40. 

Ogunbowale up the middle and he takes it for 8 yards and a first down. 

1st and 10 from the CHI 40. 

Mills gets the start under center and he finds Hutchinson on the right flat for a short gain of 6 yards. 

2nd and 4 from the HOU 30.

The first kick off of the new league wide rule has just been test run for the first time and the Bears kicked off to the Texans, and HEY we got a return!

1st and 10 from the HOU 26. 

WE ARE UNDERWAY HERE FROM CANTON!!! 

FOOTBALL IF FINALLY BACK!!!

NFL

Has a team that played in the Hall of Fame Game ever won a Super Bowl in the same year?

The Canton Curse

While the rest of the world is happy that the Texans and the Bears are in Canton to kickoff the football season, the Texans and Bears shouldn’t be overly ecstatic considering the history of teams that play in the Hall of Fame Game. Of the 116 teams that have started their preseason in Canton, just three teams have made it to Super Bowl Sunday and none of those three teams lifted the Lombardi Trophy. The Texans and Bears will try to reverse history this season, but of the two you’d have to think the Texans will be the more likely to be lifting the Lombardi Trophy come February. 

Hall of Fame Class of 2024

This weekend in Canton isn’t just about starting the NFL’s preseason. Maybe more importantly, this weekend is to honor some of the greats of the NFL as they get inducted into the Football Hall of Fame. Seven players make up the Class of 2024, and of the seven players set to get their golden jackets this weekend, five of them played on the defensive side of the ball. Dwight Freeney and Julius Peppers headline the class while Devin Hester and Andre Johnson will also be honored after their long and illustrious careers. They will be officially inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday. Click on the link to the article for more information on the 2024 Class and how and when to watch the ceremony. 

Star Watch: Bears 

Caleb Williams will not play in tonight’s Hall of Fame Game. We have seen rookie QBs play in Canton before, but with a No. 1 QB who has had just over two weeks with his new team, Coach Eberflus knows that it might be a bit to soon to throw the No. 1 pick in the draft into the fire. None of the Bears starters are set to play tonight, but with the state of the QB situation in Chicago uncertain, this could be a good glimpse into the how the Bears are handling the QB competition. Tyson Bagent, Brett Rypien and Austin Reed are all on the depth chart for the Bears, but not all of them will make it to Week 1.  

Kelce's ESPN debut

If you aren't watching ESPN's coverage of the pre game show to the Hall of Fame Game, and you are just relying on us for your pregame coverage, first of all we thank you. Second of all, you are missing Jason Kelce debuting as a studio analyst, and I must say he was made for this. He's comfortable, he's funny and he has great insight to the game. I'm looking forward to seeing more of him this year. Maybe not looking forward to seeing more of the Beret, but I can only assume he did so in homage of something. So hats off to Kelce. Can't wait for more. 

Star Watch: Texans

Unfortunately neither CJ Stroud, nor Tank Bell, nor newly acquired Stefon Diggs will play in the game tonight. It makes sense. The Texans know that they have a team capable of competing in the AFC and they won’t risk their stars in the first preseason game of the campaign. Having said that, there will be plenty of things to watch out for tonight, especially if you are a part of the Texans coaching staff. This game will go a long way in helping tidy up the roster. There will be cuts made soon, and those playing for their jobs will be on display tonight from Canton. 

Texans last year

There wasn’t a whole lot expected from the Houston Texans who had the third pick in the NFL Draft last year and went through a coaching change after a disappointing 2022 season. DeMeco Ryans came in and immediately changed the culture in Houston. It didn’t hurt that he had a rookie quarterback who had the best season of any first year QB we have seen in the history of the league. It wasn’t just CJ Stroud that impressed, Nico Collins and Tank Dell had fantastic seasons, and even when Dell broke his leg and missed the rest of the season the offense continued to roll into the playoffs. They beat the battered Cleveland Browns in the Wild Card round before losing to Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. 

Bears last year 

The Bears had a disastrous start to the season that almost cost head coach Matt Eberflus his job midseason through the campaign. Justin Fields was the quarterback, and between the the offensive scheme not really fitting his style of play, and injuries keeping him on the sidelines the offense was nearly non existent. The defense was getting shredded partially because of the offenses inability to build drives and hold on to the ball, but things started to turn around in the final third of the season. Fields came back from injury and showed that he can be a starting quarterback in the NFL, even if it may not be in Chicago. They won four of their last six games and ended the season 7-10. 

We are live from Canton 

Hello everyone and welcome to Tom Benson Stadium where the 2024/25 officially begins from Canton, Ohio. It’s the annual kickoff to the preseason and tonight two teams with plenty of interest surrounding them for very different reasons. The Texans surprised everyone last year going from one of the worst teams in the league to a playoff team that had one of the top offenses in the league. The Bears have gone all in on their No. 1 pick Caleb Willams after choosing to take the rookie QB instead of stay with Justin Fields who is now in Pittsburgh. There is going to be plenty of media attention hovering around these two teams this season, but tonight we get our first peak at two headliners this season.

Hall of Fame Game live  

Football is finally back!!! It’s the kickoff to a weekend full of festivities from Canton, Ohio as we bring in a new season of NFL football with the annual Hall of Fame Game. Tonight, the Chicago Bears and the Houston Texans will take the field just a couple weeks after starting training camp, and while we won’t have all the stars in pads tonight, the important this is: the NFL is back. AS English will be with you tonight and all season providing live coverage, stats, highlights and analysis of all of the biggest games from preseason all the way to the Super Bowl.