New week, same result against a stellar quarterback.
At least the Houston Texans kept fans guessing on which side of the ball would show up this week.
QuarterbackC.J. Stroudthrew for 353 yards, but never could find the end zone as the Cincinnati Bengals coasted to a 20-6 win at Reliant Stadium. For the third time in four years under head coach DeMeco Ryans, the Texans have started the season off 0-2.
In reality, Stroud had zero help with the lack of a run game. Entering the fourth quarter, Houston had only 41 rushing yards and was averaging less than 2.0 yards per attempt. Jaylin Noel, a wide receiver, had the run of the day with a 13-yard scamper in the second quarter before Stroud took off in the fourth for a gain of 14.
Once the final three drives
appeared, the Texans' offensive line was exhausted. Entering the second half, they allowed just six pressures. By the fourth quarter, they allowed 24 and four sacks, three of which came on the final two drives.
Meanwhile, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow threw two touchdown passes to Ja’Marr Chase and finished with 207 yards on 31 pass attempts. He evaded pressure twice on the scoring drives, finding the All-Pro receiver for the six points to take the lead in the second quarter and extend it in the third.
No escape ‼️
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) September 20, 2026
📺: @NFLONCBS | @PARAMOUNTPLUS pic.twitter.com/l45brtPOl1
During the second quarter, Chase made a toe-tapping grab in coverage against Derek Stingley to keep the ball in play for the 32-yard touchdown. Chase had seven receptions for 75 yards, including the game-sealing 18-yard strike in the third quarter to make it a two-score affiar.
Tee Higgins finished with a team-leading 95 yards on five catches, including three first-down grabs. Bengals running back Chase Brown was able to slow down the Texans' front seven by averaging 4.0 yards per attempt. He also rushed for 80 yards on 20 carries.
The Texans' defensive line did deliver, totaling 27 pressures on Burrow and five sacks. Will Anderson Jr. was credited with 1.5, to go along with his three tackles for loss. Danielle Hunter notched his first sack of 2026 during the second quarter that nearly jarred the ball lose.
Okay Dalton!!!
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) September 20, 2026
📺: @nfloncbs | @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/bcoro0WaZZ
On offense, Dalton Schultz finished with a team-leading 12 catches for 140 yards and averaged 12.4 yards per play. No one else finished with more than 40 receiving yards or three catches on the day.
The Texans will hit the road next week to take on the Indianapolis Colts for Week 3. Depending on the outcome of Sunday Night Football, both teams could be winless entering the matchup.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Recap: Texans offense stalls, Burrow and Chase connect in Bengals' Week 2 win
