The Chicago Bears locked in a victory against the Houston Texans on Thursday night with a final score of 21-17. Although the game was called off with over 3 minutes left in the third quarter due to poor weather conditions, the Bears claimed their first win of the 2024 NFL preseason. Neither team’s starters played any snaps (fortunately, given the poor field conditions in Ohio), but there were still many intriguing players to watch. In this column, I’ll discuss the players whose performances exceeded expectations in the Bears vs. Texans game. If you missed my column on players whose stock fell after Thursday night’s game, you can read it here.
Before Thursday night’s game, Collin Johnson had only 2 career touchdowns. The last time he scored was back in 2020 as he has since overcome an achilles injury. However, the former Jacksonville fifth-round pick shined by catching 2 touchdowns Thursday evening, totaling 3 receptions for 56 yards. Although Johnson’s performance has boosted his stock, he still faces a challenging path to make the final roster. Nevertheless, Thursday’s game was a significant step in the right direction for the 26 year old.
Austin Booker was a highly anticipated player to watch by many for the Hall of Fame game, and he delivered a very good performance. Playing 24 snaps, Booker recorded 1 sack and 1 QB hurry. His PFF pass rush grade was 73.6, making it the third-best among players from both the Texans and Bears. The Bears’ fifth-round pick will need time to develop, but he will be an exciting prospect to watch throughout the rest of the preseason.
A list of rising players wouldn’t be complete without mentioning QB Brett Rypien. He was outstanding against the Texans, completing 11 of 15 passes for 166 yards and 3 touchdowns. Rypien earned a 95.3 PFF grade and a 148.9 passer rating. According to PFF’s metrics, he also made 2 “big-time throws”—passes with excellent ball location and timing, often thrown further down the field or into tighter windows.
He contributed to 9 total first downs, mostly with his arm, as he had just one scramble for 9 yards. Rypien’s impressive performance has ramped up the “competition” for the QB2 spot, putting pressure on Tyson Bagent.
