HOUSTON (AP/WKRC) – The Cincinnati Bengals spent much of the offseason believing they had finally assembled the kind of defense that could complement Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and one of the NFL’s most talented offenses.
Two weeks into the season, the defense isn’t complementing the offense. It’s carrying it.
Cincinnati held Houston without a touchdown Sunday, smothered the Texans’ running game and repeatedly came through in critical situations as the Bengals improved to 2-0 with a 20-6 victory.
Chase supplied the offensive fireworks, catching two touchdown passes from Burrow one week after being held to two receptions for 12 yards against Tampa Bay. He finished with seven catches for 75 yards, while Tee Higgins added five receptions for 95 yards.
But afterward, Chase wanted to talk about the other side of the ball.
“I’ve been saying it since camp, man. Our defense is really, really good,” Chase said. “And they showing it every week now.”
During his postgame interview with CBS, Chase went even further.
“I can’t even describe how much I love our defense right now,” Chase said. “They’re our backbone. … I’m gonna repeat that until we figure it out.”
Bengals defense takes over
The numbers help explain Chase’s enthusiasm.
Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for 353 yards, completing 30 of 55 passes, but the Texans never reached the end zone. Their running backs combined for only 18 rushing yards.
The Texans reached the red zone four times and scored no touchdowns.
They also failed on a critical fourth-and-short attempt when defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence stuffed David Montgomery on fourth-and-inches at the Cincinnati 18.
Burrow viewed that play as one that established the personality of the game.
“They were incredible,” Burrow said of the defense. “Dex really set the tone on that first fourth-and-1, getting that big stop. … He set the tone for the rest of the day.”
Lawrence said Cincinnati knew Houston wanted to establish a physical running game.
“We knew we had to just play vertical and be physical,” Lawrence said.
The Bengals didn’t let up even after the outcome was largely decided.
“Holding to no touchdowns, that’s a pretty good statement,” Lawrence said. “And winning the game, that’s another great statement.”
Lawrence said the defense’s determination to keep Houston out of the end zone on its final possession illustrated the mentality Cincinnati has developed.
“That just shows our heart,” he said. “We knew we had the game at the end of the day, but the way we just kept playing and, you know, that competitive nature that we have built over this time together.”
Houston admits Bengals won up front
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans offered a similarly straightforward assessment. Houston wanted to control Cincinnati’s defensive front. Instead, Cincinnati controlled the game.
“We got outplayed up front,” Ryans said. “We couldn’t run the ball well. That forced us into a lot of passing situations.”
Ryans said Houston’s inability to finish drives ultimately doomed the Texans.
“We couldn’t find our way to get in the end zone,” he said. “To be in the red zone four times and not to come away with touchdowns, that hurts us.”
Cincinnati’s pressure became particularly disruptive late. Ryans said the Texans allowed four sacks in the fourth quarter, precisely when Houston needed to protect Stroud well enough to mount a comeback.
“That’s crunch time,” Ryans said. “We got to step up. We got to protect. We got to do a much better job protecting the quarterback.”
Stroud credited Cincinnati for keeping him uncomfortable.
“They did a good job of changing it up,” Stroud said. “They had some good pressure packages and whatnot. So yeah, they did a good job.”
Chase responds after quiet opener
The Bengals entered the week knowing they needed to get Chase more involved. Burrow, head coach Zac Taylor and offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher all discussed it after Chase managed just two catches for 12 yards in Week 1. It didn’t take long Sunday.
Chase surpassed his entire Week 1 yardage total on Cincinnati’s opening possession. Then he produced one of the most spectacular catches of his career.
With Cincinnati looking for the game’s first touchdown late in the second quarter, Burrow gave Chase a chance against All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. Chase stumbled while tracking the pass, recovered, adjusted to the football and somehow dragged his feet inbounds for a 32-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
Burrow’s strategy wasn’t complicated.
“I just threw it high and let the guy go make a play,” Burrow said. “Unbelievable play. Unbelievable.”
Chase wasn’t entirely sure how he did it.
“I literally don’t know what I did,” Chase said. “I couldn’t see the ball for a second and I was just fighting, trying to get in position.”
When Chase finally located the football, he said it appeared suddenly through the stadium lights.
“By the time I seen the ball, it was like in a light and it came real fast and it was just adjustment,” he said.
Asked to rank the catch among the best of his career, Chase put it near the top.
“I’d probably say top two,” he said.
The other?
“Super Bowl catch.”
Burrow-to-Chase strikes again
One touchdown wasn’t enough. Cincinnati led 10-3 in the third quarter when Burrow escaped the pocket and did what has become instinctive when a play breaks down.
“When I leave the pocket, I try to find number 1,” Burrow said.
Chase continued across the field as Burrow extended the play before hauling in an 18-yard touchdown in front of a diving Reed Blankenship. The score put Cincinnati ahead 17-3 with about three minutes remaining in the third quarter.
For Chase, the performance was also an answer to the attention surrounding his quiet opener. He said he never viewed two catches in Week 1 as a reason to complain.
“I’m trying to be a team leader at the end of the day, be a captain and hold myself accountable,” Chase said. “The most I could do is try to provide for my team.”
Chase pointed out that Cincinnati has Higgins and other weapons capable of producing when defenses dictate the ball go elsewhere.
“I’m gonna just hold myself accountable and try to do whatever I can to make the team win,” he said.
Taylor noticed.
“Ja’Marr was a captain through the whole thing,” Taylor said. “I didn’t hear one word out of him. He was positive. He was great helping everybody else. He knew this stuff’s going to come.”
Burrow: ‘Incredibly average’
Burrow’s own evaluation of his performance was considerably less enthusiastic.
“Incredibly average today,” he said.
Burrow completed 20 of 31 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns while playing through the back tightness that limited him in practice during the week.
“We’re going to keep getting better, but it was a great win,” Burrow said. “We did some good things, but a lot to learn from.”
Houston’s pass rush made him earn it.
Burrow took several hits against a Texans defense featuring Will Anderson Jr. and one of the league’s better defensive fronts. Taylor praised his quarterback for continuing to stand in and make plays.
“He stayed poised,” Taylor said. “Even when he takes a hit, he popped right back up and you knew he’d give you his best effort on the next play.”
Taylor said Burrow’s back wasn’t a major concern entering the game based on conversations with his quarterback.
“I felt good to call everything the way we wanted to,” Taylor said. “And I thought he played great.”
Burrow said afterward that his back was sore but fine.
“I’m good to go,” he said. “It’s a little sore after the game, but no problems. There’s a lot of people across this league playing with tight backs.”
Asked about his willingness to play through the discomfort, Burrow offered a simple explanation.
“I love this game. I love what I do. I love who I do it with,” he said. “I just want to be out there with the guys. There’s not a lot that’s going to stop me from doing that.”
A different formula for Cincinnati
For years, Cincinnati’s formula revolved around Burrow and the offense carrying the Bengals as far as they could go. Through two games in 2026, that formula looks different.
Burrow compared the current team to Cincinnati’s 2021 squad, which reached the Super Bowl with a defense capable of keeping games manageable while the offense waited for opportunities.
“It feels like early on in 2021,” Burrow said. “We got a really good defense and try to stay in front of the sticks, not turn the ball over, kick field goals. You put points on the board, we’re going to win with our defense.”
That was essentially Cincinnati’s approach Sunday.
Evan McPherson connected from 51 yards early in the third quarter and added a 57-yarder early in the fourth to stretch Cincinnati’s lead to 20-6.
The Bengals also repeatedly forced Houston to drive long fields.
Taylor credited Cincinnati’s punt unit with pinning the Texans deep throughout the afternoon, including possessions beginning at the 8-, 10- and 12-yard lines.
“That’s the type of defense we want teams to have to go 90 on,” Taylor said. “Really proud of our team overall.”
Bengals make the road statement they wanted
Taylor said the Bengals discussed Saturday night what type of team they wanted to be when they walked into a hostile road environment. By Sunday evening, he believed they had their answer.
“Unbelievable,” Taylor said. “We talked last night about what type of team we’re going to pack up, take on the road, get off the bus, send a message in hostile territory. Our defense set the tone for that.”
Even Ryans singled out Cincinnati’s stars when assessing why Houston lost.
“Ja’Marr Chase, one of their best players, he showed up,” Ryans said. “Their D tackle Dexter Lawrence was effective all day in the backfield disrupting, making plays.”
For Burrow, the most encouraging part may be that Cincinnati is 2-0 without anything resembling a complete offensive performance.
“We’re 2-0. That’s what matters right now,” Burrow said. “And we’re going to keep getting better.”
Still, he wasn’t interested in treating an undefeated September record as anything more than a promising start.
“It’s a big win for us on the road against a team like that,” Burrow said. “But it’s just Week 2. You know, we’ve been 0-2 before and rattled off 10 in a row. You can do the same the other way. So we just got to keep going.”
The Bengals return home next Sunday to face the Pittsburgh Steelers.