Texans Fall to Bears 20-19, DeMeco Logs 3 Tackles in Minimal Playing Time

The Texans fell to the Chicago Bears 20-19 in the preseason opener at Reliant Stadium. Kris Brown converted four field goals, his most-ever as a Texan, and Sage Rosenfels finished with 138 passing yards and a touchdown to lead Houston.

Matt Schaub played the first two series for the Texans and completed three of his five pass attempts for 25 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions for a 72.9 passer rating. Ahman Green, meanwhile, carried three times for seven yards.

After a 21-yard return by Danieal Manning on the opening kickoff, the Bears' offense started from their 21-yard line. A 10-yard completion on second down by wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad gave the visitors another set of downs, and Bernard Berrian's 10-yard catch a few plays later gave Chicago a first down at the 50-yard line.

With 8:48 left in the first quarter, Robbie Gould attempted a 52-yard field goal attempt that missed wide left, giving the Texans' offense possession on their 42-yard line. READ MORE

Ryans Just Not Relying on Instinct for Texans

HOUSTON - Here's a scary thought: This time a year ago, DeMeco Ryans was a lost ball in high weeds. He spent his evenings "cramming with the playbook, trying to dissect it picture-by-picture, every play there was, every situation there was," he recalled.

With his first National Football League game approaching, "I was a little nervous." He has flatly admitted he got through his rookie season primarily on instinct and talent.

The Houston Texans probably didn't know what to expect of Ryans, whom they made their second-round draft pick after his days as an All-American at Alabama.

What nobody expected was this: Ryans, a 23-year-old native of Bessemer, was the consensus NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He led the NFL with 126 solo tackles. His 156 tackles (solo and assisted) were the most by a rookie in two decades. In nine of 16 starts, he had double-digit tackles. READ MORE