The Texans have to be aware of Bears CB Charles Tillman, who forced four fumbles against Tennessee last week. (US Presswire)

Houston has a tough stretch of four games in five weeks away from home starting against the Bears on Sunday night, and the Texans will have to do a good job taking care of the ball against Chicago’s ball-hawking defense if they want to leave Soldier Field with a win.

The Bears are the best in the league at forcing turnovers, and they are doing so at an unbelievable rate. Chicago has forced 28 turnovers in its first eight games, an average of 3.5 turnovers per game, and the Bears have forced at least two turnovers in each of their eight games.

“The coaching staff does a great job of teaching it daily and we do practice it quite a bit,” Bears coach Lovie Smith said. “Once you see what takeaways can do to help your ball club and then you see guys doing it, you want to be a part of that. Now, it’s just a base part of a culture around here. It’s expected.”

On the other side, Houston has done the best job in the league of protecting the ball with just six turnovers in its first eight games. Still, the Texans are stressing ball security even more this week.

“These guys are exceptional,” Texans coach Gary Kubiak said of the Bears. “They never give up on a play. If you catch a slant or something, and you’re seven and eight, 15 yards down the field, they’re coming behind you to poke it out. Obviously, we’ve been good at protecting it, but they’re the best at getting it out. We pay attention to it all the time. We better pay special attention to it this week.”

A big part of Chicago’s ball disruption comes courtesy of CB Charles Tillman, who forced four fumbles in Sunday’s 51-20 win over Tennessee. However, he might not play Sunday if his wife goes into labor with their second child.

If Tillman does play, WR Andre Johnson is well aware of the challenges he poses when it comes to forcing turnovers.

“I knew that about him last time we played him,” Johnson said. “Whenever you get the ball, you just have to make sure you’ve got it tucked away well and make sure you’ve got it protected.”

Texans FS Danieal Manning understands first-hand how Chicago emphasizes takeaways. Manning spent his first five seasons in the NFL playing for Chicago under Smith. Manning caught on quickly, forcing four fumbles and intercepting two passes during his rookie season in 2006.

“It’s been one of their staples since I’ve been on that team and since Lovie’s era,” Manning said. “He practiced that. He has stations where he sets up stripping and turnover drills. They believe in that. They bought into the system and it’s obvious it’s been working for them.”

Follow Texans blogger Sean Bielawski on Twitter, @CBSTexans.