Game balls: 3 standouts from the Bears' Week 2 loss vs. Texans

The Chicago Bears were defeated by the Houston Texans, 19-13, on Sunday Night Football in Week 2, where another strong defensive showing wasn't enough to save a floundering offense.

The Bears defense once again rose to the occasion against a Texans team many have pegged as Super Bowl contenders. And while things got off to a rocky start, the defense locked things down in the second half, allowing just three points (a late fourth-quarter field goal). Meanwhile, Chicago's offense failed to make strides with another brutal showing that highlighted their weakness at offensive line.

Despite the loss, there were plenty of standout performances on defense and special teams that carried the load for an abysmal offense. Here is who earned game balls from the Week 2 loss over the Texans:

1. The entire Bears defense

There were a number of standout defensive performances in this close loss, but it's impossible to give everyone a game ball. So I'm giving the entire defense one for their inspired showing in Sunday night's loss. Chicago's defense showed why they're arguably a top-five unit in the NFL -- holding one of the league's top offenses to just one touchdown. While quarterback C.J. Stroud found some success through the air, the Bears defense held Houston to 76 rushing yards and sacked Stroud three times. The fact that the Bears still had a chance to win the game on the final possession -- despite an atrocious showing on offense -- speaks to the dominance of this defense and how they can singlehandedly keep them in a game.

2. K Cairo Santos

One of the best things general manager Ryan Poles has done is lock down kicker Cairo Santos to a four-year contract extension to keep him in Chicago through 2027. Once again, Santos outscored his own offense, 7-6. Santos connected on field goals from 53 yards and 54 yards when the offense stalled, as well as his lone extra point attempt. For all intents and purposes, Santos is the Bears offense until they prove they can crack the red zone more than once in two games.

3. P Tory Taylor

There were absolutely no game ball recipients on offense, but I'll throw another one at special teams with punter Tory Taylor, who's had to punt quite a lot in his first two games -- despite Caleb Williams' promise he wouldn't after he was drafted. While Chicago caught flack for drafting a punter in the fourth round, Taylor has been well worth it. In Sunday night's game, the rookie booted six punts for 248 yards, averaging 47.3 yards per punt, including a long of 57 yards. He also downed two inside the 20-yard line. Taylor played a key role in field position, and he'll continue to be a weapon in that regard.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Game balls: 3 standouts from the Bears' Week 2 loss vs. Texans