Texans-Bears Hall of Fame Game Takeaways: Williams Sits, New Kickoff Debuts

Early on in the Hall of Fame Game between the Bears and Texans on Thursday night, ESPN analyst Troy Aikman made the case for Chicago’s rookie quarterback Caleb Williams to have played in the exhibition game.

“I think he’s phenomenal,” Aikman, a Hall of Famer himself, said of Williams. “I personally would’ve liked to have seen him play tonight. Just get a few snaps. … I think just a little work would’ve been a good thing for him.”

Neither Williams, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft, nor Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud, the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, took the field in Canton, Ohio. But the quarterback play for both sides was relatively sharp until inclement weather ended the game late in the third quarter. The Bears led 21–17 when the game was called.

Aikman might get his wish to see Williams take the field Aug. 10 against the Bills in the Bears’ second preseason game. The former Heisman Trophy winner made it clear he’s itching to get out there in a sideline interview with ESPN reporter Lisa Salters.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been on a football field, since Nov. 18,” Williams told Salters. “So being able to be here, get out here and play a game … that time is coming soon.”

The time for the new “dynamic” kickoff, however, has arrived. That leads us to our first takeaway from the first NFL game since February.

First Look at NFL’s New Kickoff Format

The NFL introduced a new kickoff format — adopted from the XFL — in hopes of raising the return rate. But on a night when all-world kick returner Devin Hester was honored, only one out of eight kickoff returns went past the 30-yard line.

That part was a success as there was only one touchback, which was placed at the 30-yard line as opposed to the 25, one of many changes arriving in 2024. However, the new kickoff format produced more penalty flags than epic returns on Thursday.

The Bears were flagged for illegal formation on the receiving end of a kickoff when a player left the setup zone early. The Texans also were hit with an illegal formation penalty while kicking off when a player moved early.

Evidently, the new rules will take time to master on both sides of the ball, and it sure looks different from what fans were used to seeing .

Brett Rypien, Davis Mills Impress Under Center

Tyson Bagent, an undrafted free agent who started four games under center for the Bears in 2023, got the start for Chicago on Thursday, but it was third-string quarterback Brett Rypien who stole the show in relief.

Rypien took over on the Bears’ second possession of the game and led a 74-yard scoring drive that he capped off with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Collin Johnson . Chicago went three and out on the next drive, but the Bears scored again on their next possession on a 22-yard Rypien touchdown throw to tight end Tommy Sweeney.

Coming out of halftime, the Bears marched down the field and took back the lead when Rypien found Johnson in the end zone again. Rypien finished 11-of-15 for 166 yards and three touchdowns while Johnson racked up three catches for 56 yards and two scores. Johnson’s  one reception that wasn’t a touchdown was his best grab of the night:

Davis Mills, a former third-round pick with 26 career starts, led the Texans on a long drive to start the game. Mills connected with five different pass-catchers on a methodical 13-play, 74-yard opening drive that culminated in a 9-yard touchdown pass to tight end Teagan Quitoriano.

Before ceding snaps to Case Keenum and Tim Boyle, Mills led a second scoring drive. Mills connected with second-year receiver Xavier Hutchinson three times, but his best completion was a 27-yard hookup with Ben Skowronek that came after he juked a pass-rusher in the backfield. Mills ended his night 10-of-13 for 102 yards and a touchdown.

Cam Akers Returns to Action

Former second-round pick Cam Akers came back from an Achilles tear for the second time in his career. Akers, who was traded from the Rams to the Vikings last September, went down for the year in Week 9 against the Falcons.  On Thursday night, 270 days later, he returned to the field for the Hall of Fame Game.

Akers, who signed with the Texans in late July , was Houston’s third running back in the game after Dare Ogunbowale and J.J. Taylor. As a runner, Akers was relatively inefficient as he gained just 13 yards on five carries. But as a receiver, he made a defender miss on a backfield spin move on a 14-yard catch that moved the chains. Akers ended that same drive with a 4-yard touchdown reception from Keenum to put the Texans back in front.

Houston has a crowded backfield after trading for former Bengals running back Joe Mixon, who will start in front of 2022 fourth-round pick Dameon Pierce. Ogunbowale also has been on the roster for the last two seasons, and the Texans drafted Jawhar Jordan out of Louisville in the sixth round of April’s draft. Jordan handled three carries in his NFL debut but gained only five yards.

After the game, Akers told NFL Network : “I just wanted to come out and show people that I'm still me and that I still make plays when given an opportunity. I'll continue to do that."

His next opportunity to strengthen his case for a spot on Houston’s 53-man roster is Aug. 9 against the Steelers.

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