The Bengals’ trip to Houston brings a handful of matchups that could shape Sunday’s game, and the spotlight starts with the players who can swing it on both sides of the ball.
Ja’Marr Chase and Derek Stingley will renew a familiar battle between two elite talents who go back to their LSU days. Chase opened the season with only 2 catches for 12 yards, while Stingley was charged with allowing 4 catches on 6 targets.
That 66.7% completion rate sits well above his career mark of 53.4%. Both sides will be chasing a cleaner showing this time around, which gives this one real big-play potential.
On the edge, Amarius Mims faces a major test against Will Anderson Jr. Anderson picked up .5 of a sack against Buffalo in Week 1 and already has 30 sacks through his first 3 seasons.
He remains one of the most explosive pass rushers in football. Mims, though, held up beautifully against Tampa Bay, not allowing a single pressure while handling Rueben Bain.
Anderson is a different kind of problem, and the Texans can make life even tougher by moving their defensive ends around. That means Mims could also see Danielle Hunter and Jadeveon Clowney.
The Texans’ ground game against Cincinnati’s young linebackers is another key area to watch. Barrett Carter showed improvement from his rookie season, but he still missed 3 tackles.
Demetrius Knight Jr. also missed 3 tackles against Tampa Bay. Together, they logged 15 tackles, with Carter adding half a sack on the play Knight scooped and scored.
Carter later forced a fumble at the goal line on Baker Mayfield, and Bryan Cook recovered it in the end zone. Now those linebackers have to keep David Montgomery and Woody Marks from taking over.
Montgomery scored 3 total touchdowns in Week 1, rushing for 60 yards and adding 19 receiving yards. Marks added 42 rushing yards against the Bills.
Inside, Dexter Lawrence will be looking to wreck the Texans’ interior offensive line. He didn’t fill up the box score in Week 1, but he still made his presence felt with 3 pressures, good for second on the team.
He also looked like he should have drawn multiple holding calls against Tampa Bay. One of those plays nearly ended in a sack before Baker Mayfield got the ball knocked loose by Barrett Carter.
The Texans will line up Keylan Rutledge, Evan Brown, and Ed Ingram across the interior, and each one will have to deal with Lawrence at different points. He has already been forcing offenses to account for him, and this could be the week he finally gets the sack celebration he came close to last Sunday.
In Other News...
Bengals Make A QB Insurance Move With Joe Burrow Uncertain
With Joe Burrow dealing with back tightness, the Bengals added a little insurance before facing the Texans by elevating quarterback Josh Johnson and linebacker Joe Giles-Harris from the practice squad to the active roster. The move gives Cincinnati an extra layer of protection at the sports most important position while also adding depth on defense for a game that could turn on how cleanly the offense operates up front.
Zac Taylor said Burrow is questionable but expected to play, and the team is focused on making sure he can go after the Houston game plan aggressively if hes cleared. Cincinnati has also been encouraged by the way its offensive line has protected in recent practices, a small but meaningful sign as the Bengals try to keep their quarterback upright and avoid any late-week surprises. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Suddenly Have A D-Line Question Fans Did Not Expect
The Bengals entered the season expecting the defensive line to be one of the places where recent draft investment would finally start to pay off, and for a moment it looked like Kris Jenkins and Myles Murphy might help change that conversation. Jenkins flashed in Week 1 despite limited snaps, while Murphy turned in a more noticeable outing with a handful of impactful plays, including a forced fumble, giving Cincinnati at least a small reason to think the group could take a step forward.
Still, the broader picture remains unsettled because the Bengals have also brought in new defensive linemen this offseason, a sign the front office is retooling the room even as it waits on its young talent. For a team that needs more consistent pressure up front, the question is no longer just whether Jenkins and Murphy can build on those early moments, but how quickly they can do it before the rest of the depth chart starts shifting around them. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Get An Early Chance To Silence One Big Doubt
The Bengals opened the season with a win and now get an immediate measuring-stick game in Week 2 against the Houston Texans, a matchup that looks like their toughest early test. Cincinnatis schedule eases up after this one, so this is the kind of early chance a team can use to build real momentum before the calendar starts to turn.
Houston comes in off a loss and with a few issues already hanging over it, including defensive problems and questions at quarterback. For Cincinnati, that makes Sunday more than just another early September game. It is a shot to quiet one of the main doubts about the team and set up a favorable stretch that could matter a lot by the time the early bye week arrives. [Read more 🡒]