Winners and losers as Joe Burrow's Bengals dismiss Texans to start 2-0
The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Houston Texans 20-6, moving to a 2-0 record behind a strong defensive performance and key plays from Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Despite the Texans outgaining the Bengals, Cincinnati's defense successfully stifled Houston's scoring opportunities.
Why it matters
This game highlights the effectiveness of the Bengals' defensive restructuring and the continued chemistry between Joe Burrow and his receiving corps.
Hear this story The Cincinnati Bengals went to great lengths this offseason to reconfigure one of the NFL's leakiest defenses. The Houston Texans , meanwhile, made only minor tweaks to what was arguably the league's most dominant unit.
On Sunday, it was the former that held firm in crunch time.
Though the Texans outgained the Bengals 374-267 and had 10 more first downs, Cincinnati's defense didn't budge in a 20-6 win. C.J. Stroud tried to fling Houston back into the game with a career-high 55 passing attempts, but an offense that moved the ball in stretches was stumped in several key spots.
Here are the biggest winners and losers from Sunday's game:
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