The Bengals came out of Week 1 with a big win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but that fast start gets a serious test in Houston. The Texans have a few players who can flip the script quickly, and Cincinnati will need to handle them cleanly if it wants to keep rolling.
Start with Will Anderson Jr. He’s the Texans’ superstar edge rusher and one of the best defensive players in football, which makes him the most obvious threat on the field.
Anderson usually works from the left side of the defense, setting up a matchup with Amarius Mims for most of the game. That’s a problem spot Cincinnati has to survive.
The Bengals need Mims to hold up so Joe Burrow can stay upright. If Anderson takes over, the Bengals offense could have a hard time getting anything going.
The other major concern is C.J. Stroud.
He was impressive in Week 1 and remains the engine of Houston’s offense. Stroud has all the arm talent in the world, but pressure can still throw him off.
Cincinnati generated plenty of it in the opener, and that formula would help again here. If the Bengals can’t get to Stroud, he’ll have the time to settle in and work the pocket.
That gives the Texans quarterback a real chance to pick them apart.
Then there’s Derek Stingley Jr., who brings a different kind of problem. He’s one of the top cornerbacks in the league, and in Week 2 he’ll be matched up with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
That’s the kind of assignment that can swing a game either way. If the Bengals can attack the Texans’ secondary, they’ll be in good shape.
But if Stingley keeps locking down his side, Cincinnati could be in trouble fast.
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