The Cincinnati Bengals are off to another 2-0 start.
Cincinnati defeated the Houston Texans 20-6 on Sunday afternoon, winning its first road game of the season behind a strong defensive performance and two touchdown connections between Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase.
The Bengals struggled to find their rhythm early, but their defense kept Houston from taking advantage. The Texans reached the red zone multiple times in the first half but failed to come away with a touchdown.
One of the biggest plays came when Dexter Lawrence stopped David Montgomery for a one-yard loss on fourth-and-inches, preventing Houston from scoring.
Cincinnati finally broke through late in the second quarter. Burrow found Chase for a spectacular 32-yard touchdown, with Chase making an impressive catch near the pylon while battling tight coverage from Derek Stingley Jr. The score gave the Bengals a 7-0 lead.
Houston answered with a field goal before halftime, sending the game to the break with Cincinnati ahead 7-3.
The Bengals pulled away in the second half. Evan McPherson connected on field goals from 51 and 57 yards, while Burrow and Chase connected again for an 18-yard touchdown late in the third quarter.
Chase finished with seven catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns, while Tee Higgins led Cincinnati with 95 receiving yards. Burrow completed 20 of 31 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns.
Houston moved the ball statistically, with C.J. Stroud throwing for 353 yards, but the Texans repeatedly struggled to finish drives. Houston went 0-for-4 in the red zone and remained without a touchdown on the afternoon.
The Bengals’ defense also held Houston’s rushing attack to just 60 yards and forced the Texans into several crucial third- and fourth-down failures.
Cincinnati improves to 2-0 and will now turn its attention to a Week 3 road matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Houston falls to 0-2 and will look to regroup after another frustrating offensive performance.
For the Bengals, the Burrow-to-Chase connection is already looking dangerous, while the defense showed it can make the critical plays needed to win on the road.
