Dexter Lawrence's dominant day proves stats are overrated

The Cincinnati Bengals eliminated the Houston Texans’ ability to run the ball in their 20-6 win on Sept. 20.

More: Dexter Lawrence may be Bengals' missing piece. Dabo Swinney, Daniel Jones, others reveal why

And one person led the charge in doing so: Dexter Lawrence II. For a second consecutive week, Lawrence’s impact went beyond the stat sheet. The Texans were limited to 60 yards on the ground. Lawrence recorded three tackles, one for loss, and one quarterback hit. Lawrence was solely responsible for one of the biggest stops of the game. With the score tied 0-0 halfway through the second quarter, Houston made the decision to go for it on fourth-and-inches from the 22-yard line. Texans’ quarterback C.J. Stroud handed the ball off to running back David

Montgomery, and Lawrence shot through his gap and immediately brought Montgomery to the ground.Houston was forced to turn the ball over on downs and walked off the field with no points to show for its favorable field position.

What a PLAY by Dexter Lawrence 😤

CINvsHOU on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/3id7d6fHTP

— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2026

With Houston’s top three wide receivers out, the Texans went into the game with a disadvantage. Stroud still found a way to make things difficult for the Bengals to defend with 400+ yards of total offense.Lawrence, and Cincinnati’s defense, answered every time the Texans tried to bring the game closer.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Dexter Lawrence's dominant day proves stats are overrated