Joe Burrow connected with Ja’Marr Chase for two touchdowns and the Bengals defense stifled Houston in a 2-0 start to the 2026 NFL season. The Cincinnati front completely shut down the Texans’ ground game, sacking C.J. Stroud four times on Sunday.
The Cincinnati Bengals defense proved its Week 1 performance was no fluke, clamping down on the Houston Texans during a gritty road victory on Sunday. Al Golden’s revamped unit controlled the line of scrimmage from the opening whistle, suffocating an opposing rushing attack and keeping Houston entirely out of the end zone.
Bengals Front Seven Stifles Texans Rushing Attack
Houston struggled to generate any momentum on the ground. Running backs David Montgomery and Woody Marks combined for a meager 18 rushing yards on 14 carries, averaging just 1.3 yards per rush. Deprived of a functional run game, the Texans offense became one-dimensional, allowing the Bengals’ front to pin their ears back and tee off on quarterback C.J. Stroud.
The interior duo of Jonathan Allen and Dexter Lawrence wreaked havoc all afternoon, combining for six tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack, and two quarterback hits. According to league metrics, the Bengals generated 27 pressures on 62 dropbacks—an eye-popping 43.5% pressure rate and the highest single-game pressure mark since Al Golden took over as defensive coordinator last season. Five different defenders recorded at least four pressures.
While Houston managed to move the ball between the 20s, the defense stiffened when it mattered most. The Texans converted just 5 of 17 third downs and failed on all four fourth-down conversion attempts, including a botched field-goal snap in the first half. Houston entered the red zone four times on the afternoon but managed a meager three points and zero touchdowns, marking Cincinnati’s first game allowing no touchdowns since a Week 3 matchup against the Jets in 2022.
Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase Connect for Two Scores
Offensively, Joe Burrow worked behind a pressured offensive line that yielded five sacks and 10 quarterback hits. Linemen Orlando Brown, Dalton Risner, and Dylan Fairchild all endured difficult stretches against a relentless Houston pass rush that also sacked Burrow five times and held the visitors to 267 total yards.
Even under duress, Burrow found his rhythm with star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Burrow dialed up an early target to Chase, who rewarded the quarterback with a twisting, toe-tapping 32-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. The pair struck again on a scramble drill in the third frame, expanding the Cincinnati lead to two scores. In past seasons, putting up fewer than 300 yards of total offense usually spelled doom for Cincinnati. Under the 2026 iteration, the Bengals sit comfortably at 2-0 while ironing out their early-season offensive wrinkles.
Patrick Mahomes Leads Chiefs Past Colts in Overtime Thriller
While Cincinnati ground out a defensive victory, the night window delivered a chaotic finish as the Kansas City Chiefs edged the Indianapolis Colts in an overtime thriller to improve to 2-0. Patrick Mahomes engineered the 25th winning drive of his 10-year career, tying Kirk Cousins for the second-most game-winning drives in that span.
Playing in just his second game back from a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee, Mahomes threw for 382 yards and three touchdowns without committing a turnover. He leaned heavily on veteran tight end Travis Kelce, who hauled in nine catches for 101 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Tyquan Thornton added an explosive spark by catching all four of his targets for 86 yards, including a crucial 45-yard reception that marked Kansas City’s first third-down conversion of the night.
The Colts defense struggled to slow down the reigning champions, surrendering 523 total yards just one week after giving up 506 yards to the Baltimore Ravens.