--CB DeMarcus Faggins is a free agent this offseason and hopes to return to the Texans. He is one of only three original Texans still with the team. Faggins lost his starting job midway through the season and played primarily on special teams toward the end.

--LS Bryan Pittman returned to the locker room after a four-game suspension Monday. He is a free agent who wants the opportunity to come back and compete with Clark Harris for the snapping duties. He struggled all season though, and he doesn't have the versatility to play another role on the team other than snapper.

--TE/LS Clark Harris has already been discussed by coaches as a player they expect to get more involved in the offense. His expanding role likely means it will be very difficult for Bryan Pittman to return to the team as the long snapper.

--LB DeMeco Ryans admitted he spent most of the season playing hurt. He had a bad ankle throughout the first half of the year and played through it. He played better in the second half of the season but still needs some time in the offseason to heal.

--WR Andre Johnson offered to take his receivers and receivers coach Larry Kirksey to the Pro Bowl with him. So far, only David Anderson and Jacoby Jones have said they will definitely take Johnson up on his offer.

REPORT CARD VS. BEARS

PASSING OFFENSE: A -- QB Matt Schaub didn't throw an interception and the pass protection was solid. He wasn't sacked once. Andre Johnson was the go-to target and caught 10 passes for 148 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Schaub passed for 328 yards and finished with a quarterback rating of 121.1, which is among his top five ratings of the season.

RUSHING OFFENSE: C -- It started out poorly with Steve Slaton fumbling. But after being benched for that and messing up on pass protection, Slaton returned for the fourth quarter and put together a good performance. He finished with 20 carries for 92 yards and one touchdown. He had one run of 47 yards. Ryan Moats saw his first significant action of the season and played well, carrying the ball 12 times for 38 yards and one touchdown.

PASS DEFENSE: C-minus -- The Texans did solid overall, getting two sacks. But they did allow two passes into the end zone for touchdowns, and Kyle Orton completed 22 of 37 passes to finish with a quarterback rating of 97.1. The Texans did have to make major adjustments in the second half, however, because of the groin injury to defensive end Mario Williams. He did not return to the game, and the rest of the defensive players stepped up in his absence.

RUSH DEFENSE: A -- The Texans did a good job getting out to a lead and not letting the Bears run against them. Rookie RB Matt Forte had just 13 carries for 50 yards. The Bears finished with just 69 total rushing yards and one rushing touchdown by Kyle Orton. It was one of the Texans' more solid days against the run.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B -- Andre' Davis had a nice 39-yard kickoff return, and K Kris Brown was successful on a 22-yard field goal. The coverage teams did a solid job of keeping the Bears' returners from scoring. Ryan Moats even forced Danieal Manning to fumble on a return. Jacoby Jones fumbled a punt, but landed on it to keep from turning it over.

COACHING: A -- The Texans rebounded well from their humiliating loss to the Oakland Raiders a week early. Coach Gary Kubiak allowed offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan to call the entire game for the first time, and the team executed his calls well. They were stronger in the red zone for once, and the defense held its own despite losing Mario Williams for a half. Overall the team played well against an opponent that had playoff aspirations and needed a victory to reach the postseason.