Joe Burrow faces a ferocious Houston pass rush as Cincinnati looks to exploit a vulnerable secondary and silence C.J. Stroud’s high-powered offense in a pivotal AFC showdown.
The Cincinnati Bengals face a tough Week 2 matchup, made tougher by the Houston Texans blowing a game against the Buffalo Bills in the fourth quarter. Led by quarterback C.J. Stroud, wide receiver Nico Collins, defensive end Will Anderson, and cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., the Texans are pushing toward a Super Bowl after falling flat in last season's playoff appearance.
In Week 1, the Texans fell 36-31 to the Buffalo Bills after Josh Allen threw a late touchdown to wide receiver Josh Palmer. C.J. Stroud threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns, completing 26 of 38 passes.
David Montgomery had a great Texans debut, rushing the ball 20 times for 60 yards and two scores. Nico Collins also had 75 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Dalton Schultz was the second-most-targeted player on the Texans roster, pulling in four catches for 35 yards on eight targets.
Houston is looking for depth at pass catcher after Jayden Higgins tore his ACL in August and will miss the entirety of the 2026 season.
Defensively, Houston sacked Josh Allen twice: Will Anderson and Mario Edwards Jr. each got half a sack, while veteran Jadeveon Clowney got a full sack.
Defensive backs Reed Blankenship, Jalen Pitre, Calen Bullock and Derek Stingley Jr. all led the Texans with four or more tackles. Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair led the team with eight tackles. Edge rusher Danielle Hunter had a 79.3 defensive grade, posting two quarterback pressures and two hurries. Stingley Jr. struggled, posting a 46.1 coverage grade and allowing four receptions for 68 yards on six targets. It was the fourth-worst PFF grade Stingley has received since his debut in 2022.
Offensively, Stroud mainly attacked the middle of the field, as 19 of his 38 attempts came between the hash marks. He threw three balls of 20 yards or more downfield, threw for two scores, and threw no interceptions. There will obviously be a big focus on Nico Collins, as he was such a big focal point in the Texans' offense against the Bills.
Bills receivers D.J. Moore and Khalil Shakir combined for nine catches and 150 yards, and tight end Dalton Kincaid had five catches for 130 yards. This is trending toward a very high-scoring game, as the Texans are showing some coverage deficiencies after one week.
Ultimately, this game will come down to Cincinnati’s offensive line vs. the Texans’ defensive line. If Cincinnati can protect Joe Burrow and give him time to throw, the Bengals should be in good shape to rack up yards and points, especially with a motivated Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins coming into Houston after a quiet Week 1.
