Urlacher respects Texans offense

Bootlegs, play-action and overall athleticism gives them weapons other than Foster

November 08, 2012|By Vaughn McClure, Chicago Tribune reporter
  • Texans quarterback Matt Schaub celebrates a touchdown.
Texans quarterback Matt Schaub celebrates a touchdown. (Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE )

Brian Urlacher's respect for the Texans' offense extends far beyond running back Arian Foster.

The Bears linebacker sees a quarterback in Matt Schaub who takes good care of the football. He sees a coach in Gary Kubiak who understands how to put a quarterback in successful positions, being that Kubiak was John Elway's longtime backup.

And Urlacher sees a dangerous receiver in Andre Johnson, even if some believe the 31-year-old Johnson's best days are far behind.

"I think he's a Hall-of-Fame receiver," Urlacher said of Johnson. "And he's not done yet.''

The most challenging aspect for the Bears' defense Sunday might be staying disciplined against a team that relies heavily on play-action-to-bootleg plays. Last week, Schaub had the Bills swerving every which direction with such plays and one resulted in a 39-yard touchdown hookup with tight end Owen Daniels, a Naperville Central product.

Urlacher said the Bears don't necessarily scheme for tight ends but if Daniels (hip injury) is healthy, they will have to be aware of him. Daniels leads the Texans with five touchdown receptions and is one of the league's top third-down receivers.

"Seems like every week, everyone keeps saying I'm going to match up against the tight end, but it doesn't happen," Urlacher said. "It depends on how much Cover-2 we'll play and how much they want to try and work the middle of the field. No one has really done it yet. I don't know why.

"But no matter what, this is a big challenge for us. They've got really good personnel. They have a good quarterback. They have a really good scheme. Coach (Gary) Kubiak does a really good job with that system. We'll have our hands full."

The Texans boast the league's 12th best offense, lead by Foster's 105.9 all-purpose yards per game. Schaub has thrown for 12 touchdowns with just four interceptions. Johnson averages 13.4 yards per catch and has two touchdowns, including a 60-yarder against Broncos on a perfectly executed route and play-action pass.

Having a dominant running back such as Foster draws the defense's attention and allows Schaub to have success with those bootlegs.

"They're all pretty athletic,'' Lance Briggs said of the Texans' offense. "They move well. Their running style really complements their pass because they do a lot of play-action off of it. Boots, play-actions, they find ways to get Schaub a few extra seconds. They have a lot different routes, a lot of crossing routes, a lot of zig-zag routes. And if he has enough time they'll find a way to pick us apart.''


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