The Bengals are headed to Houston for their first road test of the season, and the matchup brings a stiff challenge right away. The Texans have stacked three straight playoff berths, and Cincinnati will need to handle one of the league’s better defenses if it wants to leave Texas with a win.
One of the biggest opportunities for the Bengals comes in the passing game, where Houston’s linebackers can be attacked. That weakness is even more pronounced now that Henry To’o To’o is on short-term IR, leaving Jake Hansen to step in.
Buffalo tight end Dalton Kincaid just found room for 130 receiving yards against the Texans, and Mike Gesicki led the Bengals with 78 yards against the Buccaneers. That makes Gesicki a natural target again, and Cincinnati should also look to get Chase Brown and Samaje Perine involved as receivers.
The two combined for 8 catches for 52 yards in Week 1, and those kinds of matchups could matter a lot on Sunday.
The turnover battle is another area where this game could swing fast. Cincinnati forced and recovered four fumbles in its Week 1 win, while Houston had to deal with fumbles of its own.
If the Bengals can create a couple more takeaways than the Texans, they’ll put themselves in strong position on the road. C.J.
Stroud did not throw an interception against Buffalo, but he had four interceptions in last year’s playoff loss to the New England Patriots. Joe Burrow also had a costly pick-six against Tampa Bay last week that trimmed a two-possession lead to just 7 points in the second half.
Mistakes are going to matter here, and the cleaner team should have the edge.
The Bengals can also help themselves by getting pressure up the middle. Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen were force multipliers in Week 1, with Allen’s third-down sack helping lead to a Buccaneers field goal.
Kris Jenkins added a sack, and T.J. Slaton chipped in with a tackle for loss and later a fumble recovery.
Houston’s interior line had issues of its own against Buffalo, with center Evan Brown dealing with Deone Walker, rookie Keylan Rutledge holding up at one guard spot and Ed Ingram turning in an inconsistent game on the other side. That opens the door for Cincinnati’s interior defensive line to make life uncomfortable for Stroud, and if that pressure turns into mistakes, it could decide the game.
In Other News...
Joe Burrows Latest Injury Hint Should Worry Bengals Fans
Joe Burrow had already taken his share of punishment by the time the Bengals left Week 2 behind, and one on-field exchange with Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. only added to the unease. Anderson was everywhere in Houstons pass rush, piling up eight tackles, a sack, three tackles for loss and two quarterback hits, the kind of disruptive day that can leave a quarterback feeling every snap long after the game ends.
Afterward, Burrow told Anderson that the Texans had helped pop his rib back into place, a comment he later shrugged off with a smile. Even if he tried to play it lightly, it was the sort of offhand remark Bengals fans have reason to notice, especially with Anderson looking every bit like the two-time Pro Bowler and 2023 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year he is becoming. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Burrows Postgame Message Should Fire Up Bengals Fans
Joe Burrow helped steer Cincinnati to a 20-6 win over Houston on Sunday, pushing the Bengals to 2-0 and giving the early part of the season a familiar feel. Even with some soreness in the mix, Burrow still found Ja'Marr Chase for two touchdown passes, and the offense did enough to keep the Texans at arm's length while the defense set the tone.
The more encouraging part for Bengals fans may have been the way the team won it. Houston never reached the end zone, with Cincinnati's defense smothering the Texans for most of the afternoon and making Burrow's efficient performance count even more. After a start like that, the message coming out of the locker room figures to matter just as much as the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]
Dexter Lawrence Is Already Creating A Bengals Dilemma Texans Know Well
Dexter Lawrence II did not need a gaudy stat line in his Bengals debut to change the game. He was doubled often in Cincinnatis Week 1 win, and that kind of attention can reshape everything around him, from how blockers set their feet to how the rest of the front gets freed up. It is the sort of presence teams spend all week trying to account for, and the Bengals are already seeing how quickly he can alter their defensive math.
Houston knows that problem well enough to talk about it before the matchup arrives. Texans general manager Nick Caserio praised Lawrences athleticism and compared him to former Patriots All-Pro Vince Wilfork, a reminder of just how rare a player like this can be when he starts commanding so much attention. For Cincinnati, the next question is not whether Lawrence can draw a crowd in the middle. It is how much more disruptive the defense can become when opponents have to build their entire plan around him. [Read more 🡒]