The Bengals are back on the road in Week 2, and the matchup in Houston comes with a familiar storyline: Cincinnati has opened with a win for the second straight season, but the talk about slow starts isn’t going away yet. That’s because the Texans have their own September problem under head coach DeMeco Ryans.
Houston has just 3 wins and 7 losses in the first three weeks of the season since Ryans took over in 2023. Last year, the Texans stumbled to an 0-3 start before rallying into the playoffs. They’re a strong team and a quality defense, but September has not been their month.
That reality got even louder after what Buffalo did to them in Week 1. The Texans allowed an explosive play on 25% of their defensive snaps, the highest rate of the DeMeco Ryans era. Their 7.9 yards per play allowed was the most surrendered in Week 1 across the NFL, and they gave up 11.1 yards per pass attempt along with 0.692 point per play, both numbers that ranked the defense 31st in the league.
The damage showed up in the secondary. Cornerback Kamari Lassiter and safety Reed Blankenship were responsible for 11 catches, 223 yards and 2 touchdowns, and that doesn’t even include the two penalties Lassiter drew.
One of those was a 45-yard pass interference that moved Buffalo to the 1-yard line. Lassiter also allowed 95 yards, which was the third-most in the league in Week 1.
Lassiter should settle in, but the bigger concern is Blankenship. Houston brought him in during free agency after he posted a 29.9 PFF grade in coverage with the Eagles last season. In Week 1, he gave up 100 yards and finished with the 73rd-highest coverage grade among safeties.
Buffalo also stressed Houston with heavy personnel. The Bills leaned on 12- and 13-personnel, using extra tight ends to create a size advantage over the Texans’ nickel defense.
When Buffalo lined up under center, Houston ranked 24th in EPA in Week 1 and allowed +0.25 EPA per pass in those looks. That matters for Cincinnati, because the Bengals ranked 8th in EPA from under center in their opener against the Buccaneers.
The Bengals also had real success with two-tight-end sets last week. They used that personnel at the sixth-highest rate in the league and produced the third-best EPA from it. And this isn’t just about heavier packages: Houston also ranked 29th in EPA against 3-WR sets in Week 1, while Cincinnati used 3-WR looks on 62% of its snaps against Tampa Bay.
There’s reason to think the Texans will bounce back from what was probably an outlier. But this is still a matchup between two teams that are built in a very similar way.
Houston wants to stay in nickel, line up, and win straight up. The Texans were in nickel 90% of the time in Week 1, blitzed at just a 15% rate, and didn’t do much to disguise what they were doing.
That sounds a lot like the Bengals’ approach too.
That’s what makes this such an interesting game for Joe Burrow and Cincinnati’s weapons. The Bengals should see plenty of 1-on-1 chances.
On the other side, Houston’s offense had a good opener, and C.J. Stroud had the Texans in position to win on the final drive before a sack and fumble ended it. It was his second fumble of the day.
That’s not exactly new territory for Stroud. He has 26 fumbles since entering the league, and pressure has always been a problem behind a Texans offensive line that has struggled to protect him. Last week, Stroud was pressured 14 times, got 10 passes off, completed 6 for 4.8 yards per attempt, and was sacked 3 times while fumbling twice.
The numbers under pressure have been rough for a while. Stroud was the 37th-ranked quarterback in PFF grade in 2025 with a 36.6 mark when pressured.
His 14 Turnover Worthy Plays under pressure were the second-most of any quarterback in the league last season. And when he gets hit, the losses can snowball fast: Stroud led the league in the wrong direction with an average of 8.2 yards lost per sack in 2025.
Houston has put resources into fixing that offensive line, and there were some encouraging signs. Still, PFF ranked the Texans 25th in Pass Block Efficiency in Week 1, while the Bengals came in at 4th. Houston allowed 13 total pressures, 4 quarterback hits and 2 sacks.
Right guard Ed Ingram drew 6 of those pressures, including 2 quarterback hits and a sack. His 25.9 PFF grade in pass protection ranked 64th among all guards in Week 1. And this isn’t just a one-week issue - Ingram has been charged with 27 sacks in his career and has consistently graded below average in pass protection.
He’s the spot to attack, and Dexter Lawrence is ready to be unleashed. The two matched up on opening day in 2024, when Lawrence recorded 6 pressures and a sack. That sack came directly against Ingram, who also allowed 6 total pressures that day.
So yes, Houston is good. It’s one of the best teams Cincinnati will face this season. But the Texans have cracks, and the Bengals have the personnel to make them matter.
In Other News...
Bengals May Have Found A Rookie Defensive Spark Already
For a defense that spent much of the offseason under scrutiny, the Bengals got an immediate jolt from a pair of rookies in their Week 1 win over Tampa Bay. Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr. both played with the kind of urgency Cincinnati was hoping to see early, and their presence showed up in the kind of moments that can change a game, with the defense helping create four turnovers while holding the Buccaneers to 282 yards.
Zac Taylor was quick to note how confidently the two linebackers handled themselves and how much command they showed in the middle of the defense. For a team trying to stabilize that side of the ball, rookie contributions are one thing, but rookie contributions that translate into takeaways are another, and Cincinnati will be watching closely to see whether this opening-week spark can become something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Just Caught A Break Before A Tough Trip To Houston
Houston will be missing some of the familiar names that usually make it a difficult place to play, which gives Cincinnati a little extra breathing room heading into a road game that already carried plenty of weight. The Texans have ruled out wide receiver Nico Collins, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and starting guard Ed Ingram because of injuries, thinning out both sides of the ball as the Bengals prepare for another test away from home.
For Cincinnati, the timing matters because Joe Burrow was limited in practice with back tightness but is expected to play, keeping the offense on track for a trip that now looks a bit less daunting. Houston will have to sort out its lineup with Kayshon Boutte and Dalton Schultz expected to take on bigger roles, and the Bengals will be watching to see whether the absences up front and on the edge create an opening they can press early. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Rookie Cashius Howell Is Drawing The Kind Of Praise Fans Notice
Cashius Howell has already started to make a quiet impression in Cincinnati, and for a rookie trying to carve out a role on the defensive line, that matters. The Bengals edge rusher recently talked about how the jump from Bowling Green to Texas A&M was a major adjustment, which makes the move to the NFL feel like one more demanding step in a career built on climbing levels the hard way.
What stands out now is the early feedback from inside the locker room. Amarius Mims and Shemar Stewart have both offered favorable takes on Howells ability and work habits, the kind of praise that tends to travel quickly around a team and stick with fans who are watching for signs of which young players can help soon. For a Bengals defense looking to add more dependable pieces up front, Howells early reception is worth keeping an eye on. [Read more 🡒]