The Day After the Day After…when the raw, immediate emotions from the aftermath of a game diminish into the realm of clarity and the proverbial (or literal) hangover no longer haunts the mind. With that, a review of Week 2:
Houston’s D-Line was Good; Cincinnati’s was Better: The Texans generated 5 sacks, held the Bengals to 80 yards total rushing and made the Bengals work for everything. Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter upped their play. Yet, it was the Bengals’ D-Line that ruled the game. They held Houston to only 60 total yards rushing, with RBs Marks and Montgomery only managing 18 combined. They obliterated the Houston interior, and it was all Stroud could do to keep out of their way until the 4th Quarter, when the Bengals sacked him four times. They surrendered over 350 yards in the air, but only 6 points. Dexter Lawrence took whatever Texans’ interior player he faced and made them into a glorified blocking dummy. How dominant was that Bengals’ interior? Houston only attempted four designed running plays in the 2nd half.
HOUSTON, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 20: David Montgomery #32 of the Houston Texans makes a catch against Dax Hill #23 and Jordan Battle #27 during the second quarter of the game at NRG Stadium on September 20, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) Getty Images
0-4: Box Scores aren’t the end-all/be-all for a game. They can’t always tell the full story. However, there are times when they can say everything. If you had not watched the game and just went to the box score to see how this game played out, you would find this for Houston:
4th Down Conversions: 0/4Red Zone (Attempts/Makes): 0/4
Last season, a big reason why the team struggled to that 0-3 and 3-5 start was that the offense could not convert on 3rd/4th Down and they couldn’t convert in the Red Zone. Houston was 5 of 17 on 3rd Down, so they were already in pain there. Yet, to go 0 for 4 on a follow-up 4th Down…not good at all. This included the 4th and 4 at the CIN 16 when the muffed FG snap happened; a 4th and 1 at the CIN 16, resulting in a stuff by Dexter Lawrence; a 4th and 1 at the HOU 41 in the 4th Quarter resulting in an incomplete pass; a 4th and 17 sack at the CIN 19 that ended the game for Houston. Just a critical in those data points, three of the four 4th Down conversion failures happened in the CIN Red Zone. 4 total trips into the CIN Red Zone with ZERO points scored. For reference, the Bengals only got into the Red Zone once, but they made it count with a TD pass to Chase in the 3rd Quarter.
Special Teams…Yikes!!!: This was a game to forget for that unit. Fairbairn went 2-for-3, including missing a 58-yarder, which he can normally make. P Kai Kroeger’ punting was solid for the most part, but his most notable play was a botched snap in the 2nd quarter, which deprived Houston of a key scoring opportunity. The coverage units for punts and kickoffs were not all that impressive, and a critical 15-yard penalty after a 15-yard punt return by the Bengals early in the 3rd quarter set up a Bengals’ scoring opportunity. The Kroeger muff was not helped by a less-than-ideal snap from Austin Brinkman. As a long-time Texans fan, one thing that is not a common occurrence is a bad kicking snap/hold.
HOUSTON, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 20: Samaje Perine #34 of the Cincinnati Bengals is pursued by Jaylin Smith #22 of the Houston Texans after a catch during the third quarter of the game at NRG Stadium on September 20, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) Getty Images
2nd Quarter (6:58): 4th and 1 at the CIN 16: David Montgomery -1 yard rush (Dexter Lawrence on the stop)3rd Quarter (5:56): 3rd and 7 at the HOU 49: Joe Burrow pass to Samaje Perine for 16 yards (HOU 33)
There were two critical conversion plays in this game. Both went against Houston. The first one not only dented a Houston drive, but it seemed to alter the decision-making process of the Texans. The running game struggled even before that stuff, but it seemed to confirm to Houston that they were not going to get much of anything on the ground. You wouldn’t think that much could scare Ryans, but that play did. In the third quarter, Houston faced another potential 4th and 1, but at the CIN 40. After two failed plays before, and remembering what happened in the 2nd Quarter, Ryans settled for a 58-yard FG attempt. It failed, and it set up the next situation.
The second play saw Houston only down 7 (10-3). After the missed FG, the Bengals got the ball in good field position, but faced 3rd and 7 at the HOU 49. If the defense gets the stop, the Bengals likely punt and Houston gets the ball back. The Houston D-line forced Burrow to move around in the pocket. However, the secondary coverage could not hold and Burrow found his Perine to catch and run for 16 yards to the HOU 33. That conversion kept the Bengals’ drive alive, culminating in a 18-yard TD pass to Ja’Maar Chase. At 17-3, and with the running game M.I.A., this made Houston one-dimensional, and against the Bengals’ D-Line on this day, that did not bode well.
HOUSTON, TX – SEPTEMBER 20: Quarterback C.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans is sacked by linebacker K.C. Ossai #52 of the Houston Texans on fourth down in the final seconds of the NFL football game between the Houston Texans and Cincinnati Bengals on September 20, 2026, at Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
2-6: Houston Texans’ record in regular season games under Ryans in the Summer: Perhaps Ryans and the Texans take it literally that the NFL is a fall sport and that the games don’t really start until after the Equinox. The one exception was 2024, when Houston actually went 2-0 in Summer games.
6: Total number of sacks surrendered by Houston in the 4th Quarter this season: Houston has given up 7 sacks this season. All but one happened in the 4th quarter. The two on the final three plays against Buffalo, and then in this game, when the Bengals had no reason to worry about the Texans’ run game and Stroud was forced to make all of the plays with his arm, all four of the Bengals’ sacks came at that time.
37.5%: Conversion percentage for Houston’s offense when facing 3 yards or less: Houston faced 8 total plays needing 3 yards or less to convert for a 1st down. They only converted on 3 of those. On plays where Houston only needed 1 yard to convert: 16.7%.
HOUSTON, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 20: Will Anderson Jr. #51 of the Houston Texans sacks Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals during the second quarter of the game at NRG Stadium on September 20, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) Getty Images
DE Will Anderson, Jr: He was back to his usual relentless self, abusing the Bengals with 8 total tackles (4 solo)/1.0 sack/3.0 TFLs/2 QB hits/1 PD. On his credited sack, he was effectively embraced by the tackle, but it made no difference. Anderson also set up another sack by Hall, as he bulled all the way to Burrow, grabbing his foot and allowing Hall to clean-up.
TE Dalton Schultz: No Nico Collins hurt, especially in the Red Zone. However, Stroud had a dependable backup security blanket in Schultz. 12 receptions for 140 yards will do that.
HOUSTON, TX – SEPTEMBER 20: Quarterback C.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans is sacked by defensive end Shemar Stewart #94 of the Cincinnati Bengals during the NFL football game between the Houston Texans and Cincinnati Bengals on September 20, 2026, at Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
SHOULD BE FORCED TO EAT ONLY SKYLINE CHILI, WITH BEANS AND STALE SPAGHETTI, FOR THE REST OF THE FALL SEASON
Texans’ Interior O-line players: The whole of the O-line could live here, especially in the 4th quarter, but the interior was completely overwhelmed by the Bengals’ D-Line. Houston could not stop Lawrence and many times Stroud had to roll out of the pocket or could not step into his throws as the center was collapsing too quickly.
Officials’ UCLs: 21 total flags between both teams. For Cincinnati, their 12 penalties did a lot to keep Houston in this matchup. Not that Houston was playing that much cleaner, as they lost more yards in penalties (83 to CIN’s 78).
Houston’s Sporting Teams: You know about the Texans, but they weren’t alone. It started Friday night when the Houston Cougars went up to rival Texas Tech and couldn’t hold a double-digit lead. The Astros entered the weekend with a one-game lead in the AL West. They left down one. The Houston Dynamo didn’t technically lose but blew a 2-goal second period lead to end up with a tie. At least the Dash won, but they live at the bottom part of the table.
Houston, now 0-2, will go on the road to take on their division rival, and fellow 0-2 squad, Indianapolis in what is shaping up to be a near-must win for both. Kickoff is slated for noon CDT on CBS/Paramount+