The Cincinnati Bengalswill travel to Houston and attempt to start 2-0 for the second consecutive year.
The Bengals started 2026 off on a positive note with a 33-27 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. For Cincinnati, the offense proved versatile, the defense proved decisive, and Evan McPhersonaccounted for 15 points as the field-goal unit continued to impress following it stellar training camp.
The Bengals will face a Houston Texans team at Reliant Stadium on Sept. 20 (1 p.m. EDT, CBS) that last season made the playoffs, dominated the Pittsburgh Steelers in a wild card-round win but opened 2026 with a 36-31 home loss to the Buffalo Bills.
offense Ja'Marr Chase The Bengals plan to get Ja'Marr Chase more involved in the offense
Houston is expected to be a contender again in 2026, and it will be determined not to find itself in an 0-2 hole two weeks into the season.
With significant injury questions surrounding the Bengals after one game, here's what the team needs to do in order to emerge victorious from Houston:
Keep Joe Burrow upright and healthy
The Bengals offensive line impressed against the Buccaneers, and quarterback Joe Burrow was sacked just once and was the least-pressured quarterback in the NFL during Week 1. It might sound like a tall order to ask for a repeat performance, but given Burrow's injury situation throughout this past week, a repeat performance feels necessary.
Burrow described his ailment as normal post-game pain and took it a step further by saying the suggestion he wouldn't play against Houston was "ridiculous." Even still, he was limited in practice multiple times in the week leading up to the Texans game, and it's very early in the season for this particular franchise quarterback to have an injury cloud hanging over him.
The Texans' defensive line is deep and has the ability to ruin Cincinnati's day (more on their depth and talent below). Still, a day of minimal contact feels like it would go a long way for Burrow not just at Reliant Stadium, but in the weeks to come.
Get Ja'Marr Chase going early, often vs. Texans
Everyone from head coach Zac Taylor to offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher to quarterback Joe Burrow was in agreement: Ja'Marr Chase needs more than four targets and two catches, no matter the opponent or how well Chase internalizes such things in his sixth year in NFL.
Chase is a stallion. He has the ability to take over games. The Bengals had enough offensive contributors in their Sept. 13 win against Tampa Bay to survive without a big game from Chase, but Chase is the proven commodity. Feed him early and help him find a groove. Let his quiet Week 1 outing be an afterthought − something he's capable of doing based on his track record following low-production games.
Chase Brown needs to help the Bengals feed Ja'Marr Chase, receivers
The Texans have expert pass rushers and run-stoppers. The defensive line from 2025's NFL-leading defense (a defense that returned most of its starters and impact players, mind you) includes Will Anderson Jr. (12 sacks last year), Danielle Hunter (15 sacks in 2025) and 33-year-old Jadeveon Clowney, who opened his 2026 campaign with a sack in Week 1.
Given that, the Bengals might be inclined to play over that Houston defensive line via the pass game as opposed to driving right through it in the run game. Well, Cincinnati is a pass-heavy team to begin with, and Week 1 featured 35 passes against 27 rushes.
Cincinnati needs to soften up Houston's front, and force it to respect the run. That job will fall primarily to Brown and Semaje Perine (they combined for 76 rushing yards on 21 carries versus Tampa Bay). If Houston decides it doesn't have to respect the run, it can load up in the secondary and help on Chase and Tee Higgins.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: These 3 things will deliver a Bengals win over Texans
