With the Chicago Bears leading the Houston Texans 21-17 late in the third quarter, the 2024 Hall of Fame Game was delayed and then cancelled due to inclement weather. A downpour of rain in and around the stadium, plus lightning in the area, forced the game to be called with 3:31 still on the clock in the third.
Prior to the stoppage, Bears quarterback Brett Rypien and wide receiver Collin Johnson were the big stories, with Rypien going 11 of 15 for 166 yards and three touchdowns, two of which went to Johnson, who has three grabs for 56 yards. Teagan Quitoriano and Cam Akers scored the touchdowns for the Texans, catching their scores from Davis Mills and Case Keenum, respectively.
Not many of the starters got action for either side, but it was a fairly well-played game before the weather rolled through. Here are some other key takeaways:
Not technically speaking, but in terms of actual dynamism. Seven different kicks were returned before the game's weather delay late in the third quarter, which is actually a plus considering most of those kicks might've been mere touchbacks a year ago. Only one of them, however, went for more than 30 yards on the return, and several formations drew penalties for players moving early.
It's preseason, yes, so the journeyman was up against mostly Texans backups. And youngster Tyson Bagent, Williams' current No. 2, has already flashed NFL upside after four rookie-year starts. Rypien was especially sharp while threading the ball downfield, however, controlling the rock while also tossing three scores and showing an elite connection with big perimeter man Collin Johnson.
Not a single one of the biggest names for these two squads suited up Thursday, including Stefon Diggs, D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, Nico Collins, Tank Dell, etc. And yet both teams still got top-level production from reserves. Collin Johnson, the former New York Giants prospect, had shades of vintage Allen Robinson while securing three sideline strikes for Chicago. Second-year backup Xavier Hutchinson, meanwhile, was aces for Houston, hauling in five of six targets to lead the Texans' aerial attack.
The jumbotron at the stadium warns of "severe" weather approaching and has asked all fans in attendance to clear the stands. On the ESPN broadcast, Joe Buck mentioned that there has been lightning in the area and seemed not to know if the game would even be resumed.
The Bears' No. 1 overall draft pick didn't take a snap Thursday, but that doesn't mean he won't be seeing exhibition action sometime soon. Speaking to ESPN from the sidelines, Williams teased that his "time is coming soon," admitting he already expressed to coach Matt Eberflus his giddiness to get on the field. ESPN also reports that Williams is set to receive 45-55 snaps in the Bears' final three preseason games.
Chicago's third-string duo is putting up a heck of a performance. Collin Johnson lost what looked like a fantastic catch down the sideline on a challenge from DeMeco Ryans, but he made up for it later in the drive with his second touchdown catch of the game. He now has 3 grabs for 56 yards and 2 scores. Rypien, meanwhile, is 11 of 15 for 166 and 3 touchdowns.
By this writer's account, these players stood out most in the first two quarters of 2024 preseason play:
Brett Rypien is rolling. He led the Bears on a five-play, 72-yard touchdown drive that took just 58 seconds off the clock, completing all five of his passes along the way. He hit Collin Johnson (who scored earlier in the game) with a gorgeous back-shoulder throw and catch for a 27-yard gain early in the drive, then connected with Tommy Sweeney from 22 yards out to cut into Houston's lead.
Cam Akers was only recently signed by the Texans, but if the first drive of his Houston career is any indication, he is back to full health following the second Achilles tear of his career. He carried 5 times for 13 yards and added 2 catches for 18 yards and a touchdown on Houston's latest drive to put the Texans up 17-7. The first of his two catches saw Akers shake a defender in space on a broken play, while the second saw him end up wide open in the front of the end zone for the score.
No. 3 quarterback Brett Rypien took the second drive for Chicago's offense and he led the team down the field for a score with two big plays. The 8-play, 80-yard drive included an 18-yard completion over the middle to Tommy Sweeney, who fumbled after the catch, only for the Texans to fumble the recovery right back to the Bears. Rypien capped things off with a 20-yard strike to Collin Johnson for the score.
Roschon Johnson got the official start for Chicago at running back with veteran addition D'Andre Swift resting on the sidelines. But Khalil Herbert showed lots of juice in relief of Johnson on the Bears' second offensive drive of the night, picking up 35 yards on just four carries, including 19 on a single burst. The eye test says he warrants RB2 consideration behind or in tandem with Swift.
A relatively surprise cut by Los Angeles this offseason, Ben Skowronek found himself on the receiving end of a downfield strike from Davis Mills on the Texans' second drive of the night. Mills also showed off some pocket poise, eluding early pressure to step up and thread the needle over the middle.
ESPN just did an interview with former Texans star Andre Johnson, who is being inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday. Johnson was teammates for six years with Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, and said that he knew during their careers that Ryans would become a good coach due to his leadership style. Johnson is apparently giving the final speech at the induction ceremony, with fellow former Miami Hurricane Devin Hester among those scheduled to speak before him.
Led by Davis Mills (5-7, 44 yards, TD), the Texans went right down the field for a touchdown on the opening drive of the 2024 NFL season. Mills connected with tight end Teagan Quitoriano on a 9-yard score to cap a 13-play, 74-yard drive that was aided by a third-down pass interference penalty in the red zone.
For the first time ever, we saw the Dynamic Kickoff in an NFL game. For a primer on the new kickoff rules, check out our explainer right here. Get ready to see more kick returns this year thanks to these new rules.
