Overview
- Cincinnati beat the Houston Texans 20-6 on Sunday to move to 2-0 after a game defined by defensive stops and limited Houston to a single touchdown.
- Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence finished as a clear impact player with multiple tackles including a tackle-for-loss that helped stall a Texans drive and opened lanes for teammates.
- The Bengals recorded four sacks and produced six tackles-for-loss while hitting Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud multiple times to sustain the defensive turnaround.
- Cincinnati's offensive line struggled early, drawing five penalties and allowing five sacks on Joe Burrow, with left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. singled out for getting beaten and later calling his own play disappointing.
- Burrow said his back was sore but that he was 'good to go,' rookie Amarius Mims earned praise for stepping up at tackle, and the team will focus on cleaning up protection and pre-snap penalties before Week 3.