Ja’Marr Chase scores twice as Bengals hold Texans without a touchdown

Ja’Marr Chase gave Cincinnati the touchdown catches it had been missing, and the Bengals’ defense made sure Houston never answered. Chase scored from 32 and 18 yards in a 20-6 victory Sunday that put Cincinnati at 2-0 and left the Texans searching for their first win.

The first score demanded much more than separation. With Derek Stingley Jr. contesting the throw near the sideline, Chase adjusted to Joe Burrow’s pass and completed the catch for a 7-0 lead late in the second quarter. It ended a scoreless opening stretch in which Cincinnati’s biggest contribution had come from its defensive front.

Chase finished with seven receptions for 75 yards and both Cincinnati touchdowns. Burrow completed 20 of 31 throws for 207 yards without an interception. Tee Higgins supplied five catches for 95 yards, giving the Bengals another way to move the ball when Houston crowded Chase.

The stop before the score

Dexter Lawrence II helped create the opening. Houston faced fourth-and-inches at the Cincinnati 18 in the second quarter, and Lawrence stopped David Montgomery behind the line. Instead of falling behind, the Bengals took possession and drove 81 yards to Chase’s first touchdown.

Higgins converted two third downs on that possession, according to the Bengals’ postgame account. Those catches kept Burrow on the field long enough to take the shot at Chase. The touchdown was the finish; the fourth-down stop and intermediate completions made it possible.

Cincinnati led 7-3 at halftime and added Evan McPherson’s 51-yard field goal early in the third quarter. Chase’s second scoring catch then stretched the margin to 17-3 with 3:03 left in the period, turning a one-possession game into a much harder assignment for Houston.

Houston’s yards never became touchdowns

C.J. Stroud threw for 353 yards on 30 completions in 55 attempts. Dalton Schultz caught 12 passes for 140 yards. Those numbers showed Houston could move the ball, but the Texans never finished a possession in the end zone.

The running backs struggled to ease Stroud’s workload. Montgomery managed 10 yards on six carries and Woody Marks added eight on eight attempts. Houston finished with 60 rushing yards overall, including gains by Stroud and receiver Jaylin Noel. Cincinnati held the Texans to five conversions in 17 third-down attempts.

McPherson’s 57-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter completed the scoring. Cincinnati had survived five sacks of Burrow while producing the game’s only touchdowns, and its defense protected the lead without requiring a late offensive rescue.

Chase Brown’s 80 rushing yards on 20 carries helped balance that effort. Cincinnati leaves Houston with two wins achieved in different ways: a productive offensive opener against Tampa Bay and a road game in which its defense allowed only two field goals. Houston is 0-2, with Sunday’s inability to finish drives more consequential than its passing-yard total.