The Cincinnati Bengals held the Houston Texans to six points on Sunday. No touchdowns. Two field goals. A Houston offense that put up 31 against the Bills a week earlier could not find the end zone once against Cincinnati’s revamped defensive front.
The Bengals won 20-6 and are 2-0. They sit alone atop the AFC North after the Steelers fell to the Patriots, and the Ravens were upset by the Saints.
After the game, the two biggest stars on the roster made it clear what is driving this team right now.
Chase Drops Quote on the Defense
Ja’Marr Chase did not hold back when asked about this year’s defense.
“I can’t even describe how much I love our defense right now,” Chase said. “They’re our backbone and we’re going to feed off their energy.”
Chase finished with seven receptions, 75 yards, and a pair of scores, including a contested catch along the boundary that showcased the body control only he can produce. Tee Higgins complemented him with five catches for 95 yards, picking up first downs in the spaces Houston’s coverage left open.
The two touchdowns gave Burrow and Chase 50 career scoring connections. According to NFL researcher Arye Pulli, only four quarterback-receiver duos in league history have reached that number before both players turned 30. The company includes some of the most prolific partnerships the game has ever seen.
Burrow Invokes 2021
Joe Burrow was asked about the defense after Sunday’s win.
“It feels like early on in 2021, when we got a really good defense,” Burrow said.
The Bengals invested heavily in the defensive side of the ball this offseason, headlined by the trade for Dexter Lawrence. Lawrence controlled the middle of the field on Sunday, bottling up Houston’s rushing attack and making it impossible for C.J. Stroud to step up in the pocket. He denied the Texans on a critical fourth-and-inches try in the second quarter that shifted the game’s momentum.
Final Word for the Bengals
Chase and Burrow can sense it. The energy, the backbone, the standard the defense is setting for the rest of the roster. The Bengals are 2-0.
The Steelers come to town next week. The AFC North race is just getting started. But if the defense keeps playing like this, Cincinnati has the kind of foundation that wins in January.
Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase Drops Bold Statement After Win Over Texans