Brock Osweiler's first series as a Houston Texan ended in an interception.
As for the rest of the game? Not too shabby.
Osweiler rebounded from the early miscue to complete 22 of 35 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns, as the Texans overcame an early deficit to defeat the Chicago Bears 23-14. Houston's defense played a big role in the win, keeping Chicago off the board in the second half while Osweiler went to work with his bevy of offensive weapons.
The new arrival showed potential to be the stalwart under center that he was signed to be, completing five passes to star receiver DeAndre Hopkins for 54 yards and a touchdown. The most encouraging sign for the future of Houston's offense came in the Osweiler-Will Fuller connection, in which the quarterback found the rookie wideout five times for 107 yards and one touchdown.
"After that first pick he really settled down," Texans tight end Ryan Griffin said of Osweiler, per the Houston Chronicle. "He was a great leader out there in the huddle. He's a true commander of this offense, and I'm excited to see what this season holds for us."
Fuller's score came on a tunnel screen, in which the receiver did the bulk of the work, racing from the perimeter up the middle of the field and into the end zone. But the best completion of the day came midway through the fourth on third-and-3, when Osweiler found Fuller streaking down the sideline against man coverage, dropping a pass in between the corner and converging safety for a big gain that led to an insurance field goal.
"He's everything we thought he would be," Texans owner Bob McNair gushed after the game. "He can perform under pressure, and that's what you want."
McNair opened up the checkbook in the offseason to pay Osweiler $72 million over four years to not be Brian Hoyer, Brandon Weeden or T.J. Yates. That investment paid off in the win Sunday, with plenty of hope for the future.
