Al Golden’s relentless unit stifled C.J. Stroud while Ja’Marr Chase found the end zone twice, securing a second straight victory as Cincinnati remains perfect to start the season.
The Cincinnati Bengals traveled south for a matchup with the Houston Texans and will return home with a 20-6 victory behind another stellar outing from Al Golden’s defense. The win marks the second consecutive year the Bengals have started the season 2-0.
Joe Burrow and the offense didn’t need to score on every possession to win, but there were still encouraging signs on that side of the ball.
After recording just two receptions for 12 yards in Week 1 against Tampa Bay, Ja’Marr Chase returned to form in Houston. Chase grabbed seven receptions for 75 yards and two touchdowns, showcasing his ability at all levels. He made a great catch at the pylon for his first score of the afternoon, fighting through tight coverage to make the play and miraculously get two feet in bounds.
Tee Higgins led all Cincinnati receivers with 95 yards on five receptions, averaging 19 yards per reception. Chase Brown added 80 yards on the ground on 20 carries.
The offensive line took a bit of a step back, but that could be expected when facing a defensive front as good as Houston’s. The line gave up five sacks and 10 hits on Burrow, but luckily, it didn’t hurt the Bengals too much because the story of the day was the Bengals’ defense dominating C.J. Stroud and the Texans’ offense.
The Texans were completely shut down and held to just six points seven days after putting up 31 against the Buffalo Bills.
Golden dialed up plenty of blitzes that led to seven quarterback pressures and four sacks. Cedric Johnson flashed with two sacks, Jonathan Allen had a sack and three total tackles for loss, and Shemar Stewart recorded one in the closing minute in his first action of the season.
Cincinnati’s defensive front also took away Houston’s rushing attack, allowing just 60 yards on 18 carries, with 29 of those coming off scrambles from Stroud when he pushed out of the pocket.
The secondary was also strong. While the Bengals weren’t able to intercept Stroud on one of his 55 pass attempts, they broke up eight passes and affected a handful of others with good reads and tight coverage.
With another perfect day from Evan McPherson in the kicking game, the Bengals dominated the Texans in all three facets of the game. For a team looking to return to the playoffs, it’s been about as good of a start as you could ask for to start the season.
Cincinnati will be on the road again next week when it travels to Pittsburgh to take on Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
