The Bengals’ defensive line had plenty of names to celebrate in Sunday’s 20-6 win over the Texans. TJ Slaton just made sure he belonged in that conversation, too.
For the second straight week, the Cincinnati defensive tackle popped on tape in a way that won’t jump off the box score but absolutely mattered on the field. He logged 27 snaps against Houston and made them count, continuing the kind of start that suggests the Bengals were wise to keep him from becoming a cap casualty this offseason.
Slaton was easy to overlook when the attention went elsewhere on Cincinnati’s rebuilt front. He was one of the quieter pieces in the Bengals’ 2025 free agent class, but he’s now starting to look like one of the smartest additions. After opening the season with a splashy tackle for loss on Bucs running back Bucky Irving, he followed that up Sunday by tossing former Bengals right tackle Trent Brown aside - no small feat against a 6'8", 380-pound lineman.
And that’s the part of Slaton’s game that doesn’t always show up where fans first look. The numbers matter, but they don’t tell the whole story. He drew a holding penalty in Houston and kept making disruptive plays that helped tilt the game without needing a headline every time he got near the ball.
The efficiency has been notable, too. Through two games, Slaton has played 37% of the defensive snaps, down from 53% last season, and the lighter workload seems to be helping him stay fresher and more effective. That showed up against a Texans run game that managed just 60 yards on 18 carries, a 3.3-yard average, with Slaton doing his part alongside the rest of the defensive line.
That matters for a player in a contract year. Cincinnati handed the former Packers defensive tackle a two-year, $14 million deal in free agency in 2025, and if he keeps stacking performances like these, he could be setting himself up for another payday. His $9 million cap hit in 2026 may have looked steep to some fans, but if this start holds, another team could be willing to pay even more next offseason.
The Bengals had a lot of contract-year storylines this offseason, with Chase Brown, DJ Turner and Dax Hill among the players entering the final year of their deals. Slaton wasn’t the loudest name in that group, but he may end up being one of the most important.
With Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen, Kris Jenkins and Cashius Howell drawing deserved attention, Slaton is doing the dirty work that keeps Cincinnati’s front rolling. And after two weeks, he’s earned a lot more notice than he’s getting.
In Other News...
Bengals Made This Lopsided Box Score Look Even Better Afterward
C.J. Stroud piled up 353 passing yards in Week 2, but the numbers that mattered most belonged to Cincinnati. The Bengals handled Houston 20-6, leaning on two touchdowns and timely field goals while keeping the Texans out of the end zone altogether. It was the kind of game that looked closer on paper than it felt in real time, especially once Cincinnatis defense started squeezing the Texans offense into a long afternoon.
Houstons problems went well beyond one missed chance or one bad drive. The Texans managed only 18 rushing yards, never found any traction on the ground and took multiple sacks while trying to keep pace. For the Bengals, that made the final score a clean reflection of control, even in a game where Stroud threw the ball well enough to keep the box score busy. For Houston, the 0-2 start comes with the same nagging issue attached: production without finishing. [Read more 🡒]
Zac Taylors Postgame Message Should Fire Up Bengals Fans
The Bengals left Houston with more than a win, they left with a defensive performance that felt like a statement. Cincinnatis 20-6 victory over the Texans marked the lowest point total allowed in Zac Taylors time as head coach, and the pass rush did its part by bringing steady heat throughout the afternoon, with five different defenders finishing with five or more pressures. Taylor praised the team across all phases, and for a group that has spent much of the season trying to find its identity, this was the kind of complete showing that can change the tone around a locker room.
Now the challenge gets a little more interesting. Cincinnati is still sitting atop the AFC North, and a meeting with the Steelers is next, which means this stretch can start to say a lot about how real the Bengals momentum is. The defense has given the team something concrete to build on, and if that same edge travels into another divisional matchup, Taylors postgame optimism may end up sounding less like a response to one good day and more like a preview of what the Bengals think they can become. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals O-Line Debate Isn't Going Away After This Win
A win can soften a lot of problems, but it did not make the Bengals offensive line conversation disappear after the victory over the Texans. Joe Burrow took a beating early, getting sacked five times and hit 10 times as Cincinnati stumbled through a choppy first half, with five pre-snap penalties adding to the mess. Even in a 20-6 finish that pushed the Bengals to 2-0, the front five left plenty for the coaching staff to sort through.
Orlando Brown Jr. did not hide his frustration with how he played, and center Ted Karras pointed to better line work after halftime as the group settled in. The second-half improvement helped Cincinnati get control of the game, but the larger issue remains obvious: protecting Burrow and cleaning up the communication mistakes will keep drawing attention until the line shows it can hold up from start to finish. [Read more 🡒]