The Cincinnati Bengals put together a statement win while moving to 2-0, bullying a would-be AFC contender during Sunday’s encounter with the Houston Texans.
Sounds mean…and it was. Dexter Lawrence’s Bengals defense held Texans running backs to 18 yards on 14 attempts and held CJ Stroud scoreless while sacking him four times.
And that’s just a few of the impressive numbers on the road for the Bengals during the 20-6 triumph.
So, not many losers on the day for the Bengals, to say the least.
Winner: Dohnte Meyers
What can’t this guy do? Meyers had a handful of really important returns on special teams, at times being the only thing that bailed out the struggling base offense. He’s notably getting most of the work right now while Ke'Shawn Williams sits on the inactives
list, and he’s making the most of it.
Loser: Orlando Brown Jr.
A tough day for Brown wasn’t hard to see coming. Well, except for Bengals coaches, it seems. They started the day with Brown isolated against good edge rushers while running shotgun looks. They smartly course-corrected and went under-center more in the second half. Alas, this was always going to be a tough day when it comes to pressures, but it was the sort of day that still shows Brown will need help in specific matchups.
Winner: Ja’Marr Chase
Right back at it. Deja vu, too. Just like last year, Chase had a quiet day in the opener, then exploded in Week 2. This time, it was to the tune of seven catches for 75 yards and two scores.
Loser: Demetrius Knight and Jordan Battle
These two stuffed the stat sheet with tackles, but some of the remnants of last year’s struggles remained. Tackling issues and the opponent targeting them specifically, mostly. Not the end of the world in a game like this, but missed tackles were a minor talking point coming out of last week, too. They could eventually play a part in a game’s outcome if not addressed.
Winner: Shemar Stewart
Shemar Stewart returned from injury and grabbed a sack late in the game. It was him running free after shedding a block on the side away from the play, sure, but it showed off his wicked athleticism. Ideally, he’ll keep getting an uptick in reps now that he’s back.
Winner: TJ Slaton
Everybody knows about Dexter Lawrence. But how about this? Viewed as a possible cut candidate over the offseason, TJ Slaton had some key run stops in Houston. Not flashy, yet critical on the day. His role shows just how deep and versatile the rotation can be.
Winner: Joe Burrow
Joe Burrow himself didn’t talk too highly about his own play in Houston. Fair enough, as he looked uncomfortable or a step late in some pockets. But hey: His Bengals are 2-0. He’s still ramping up and not at his best, yet winning anyway. His not needing to play hero ball at all times to simply have a chance at winning games is a triumph for the Bengals.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: 5 winners and 3 losers after Bengals beat Texans
