CANTON, Ohio – While Caleb Williams, C.J. Stroud and other starters from both teams watched from the sideline, the NFL’s new kickoffs didn’t provide any excitement.
Brett Rypien stole the show before lighting and heavy rain ended the game early.
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The veteran quarterback threw three touchdown passes, leading the Chicago Bears to a 21-17 victory over the Houston Texans on Thursday night in the Hall of Fame game.
The NFL’s exhibition opener was stopped with 3:31 left in the third quarter and was called off after a 36-minute delay.
All eyes were on the NFL’s radical new kickoffs rule at the start. The league dramatically redesigned the play, aiming to revive it after a record-low returns last season.
None of the eight kickoffs were returned beyond the 32. Three were brought back to the 26, a yard farther than the old touchback. There was one touchback that came out to the 30.
“You never know until you come in the game and play,” said Bears wide receiver Collin Johnson, who made a tackle on the opening kickoff. “The speed and timing is drastically different. It's so much faster.”
Tyson Bagent started for Williams, the No. 1 overall pick who has enormous expectations in Chicago. Davis Mills was under center instead of Stroud, the 2023 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Rypien finished 11 of 15 for 166 yards with TD passes of 20 and 9 yards to Johnson and 22 yards to Tommy Sweeney. Rypien, who was 2-2 as a starter in four seasons with the Broncos and Rams, entered camp as the third-string QB.
“This one meant a lot to me,” Rypien said. “I had a bad taste in my mouth all offseason after my last start in Green Bay (last Nov. 5). I didn't know how this season would go, didn't know if I'd get a chance to compete for anything.”
Mills, who was 5-19-1 as a starter in the two seasons before Stroud’s arrival, finished 10 of 13 for 102 yards and a 9-yard TD pass to Teagan Quitoriano to cap the opening drive.
Veteran Case Keenum threw a 4-yard TD pass to Cam Akers to give the Texans a 17-7 lead late in the second half.
Rypien led the Bears on a 72-yard drive in just 58 seconds in the final minutes of the first half. His TD pass to Sweeney cut it to 17-14. He put the Bears ahead with the 9-yard strike to Johnson in the third.
“As a backup, you have to be ready at any moment,” Rypien said. “You never know when that opportunity is going to come. You have to go in and execute when you haven't had that many reps.”
Houston’s Steven Sims fielded Cairo Santos’ opening kickoff at the 5 and ran 21 yards before he was tackled at the 26. After the Texans scored, Chicago’s Tyler Scott caught Ka’imi Fairbairn’s kickoff at the 7 and returned it 19 yards to the 26.
Touchbacks used to result in the offense starting at the 25.
Scott fielded the third kickoff one yard deep in the end zone and chose to return it instead of taking a touchback. He was tackled at the 20. The Bears were penalized for leaving early — only the two returners and kicker can move until the ball is caught — but the Texans declined.
“I say kickoff teams won,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said. “Good job by the cover teams. It looked like the return teams struggled staying on blocks.”
The Texans went worst to first in the AFC South last year behind rookie coach DeMeco Ryans, Stroud and Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson Jr. Houston finished with 11 wins, advancing to the divisional round of the playoffs.
The Bears are hoping to make a similar leap from 7-10 to the playoffs after selecting Williams first, adding wide receiver Rome Odunze with the ninth pick and revamping the roster in free agency.
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Akers showed quickness on a 14-yard catch that preceded his TD reception. He also ran for 13 yards on five carries. Akers is attempting to comeback with the Texans after his season ended early last season after he tore his Achilles tendon for the second time in three years.
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Bagent, who went from undrafted rookie out of Division II powerhouse Shepherd University to 2-2 as a starter filling in for Justin Fields last season, only played one series. He completed 2 of 3 passes before Rypien took over.
HALL OF FAME FIRSTS
Many of the Bears and Texans fans in the crowd came to see two of their favorites don the gold jackets on Saturday afternoon.
Devin Hester, the dynamic playmaker who returned a league-record 14 punts for touchdowns and ran back five more kickoffs for scores during an 11-year career spent mostly with Chicago, will be the first pure returner to enter the Hall of Fame.
Andre Johnson, the seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver, will be the first member of the Texans inducted.
Hester and Johnson received the loudest ovations before the game when the Class of 2024 was introduced.
Popular Bears great Steve McMichael, who can’t attend his induction because he’s in the advanced stages of ALS, was represented by his wife, Misty.
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