Cincinnati
Bengals
1-0
7
FINAL
41
Houston
Texans
1-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a commanding performance, the Houston Texans overwhelmed the Cincinnati Bengals with a final score of 41-7, solidifying their early-season dominance in Week 2 of the 2026 season. The Texans showcased their offensive prowess, while the Bengals struggled to keep pace, making this matchup a significant statement for Houston.
C.J. Stroud was the standout for the Texans, throwing for 358 yards and three touchdowns, leading a high-flying offensive attack. Bo Melton was his primary target, racking up 178 receiving yards and making crucial catches that kept drives alive. Meanwhile, Chase Brown provided some resistance for Cincinnati with 59 rushing yards, but it wasn't enough to make a dent in Houston's offensive onslaught.
The Texans' defense played a pivotal role in this lopsided affair, with Will Anderson Jr. leading the charge with 1.5 sacks and consistently pressuring Bengals quarterback. Derek Stingley Jr. added an interception that shifted momentum in favor of Houston, effectively sealing the game. When the Texans' defense stepped up in key moments, it became clear that Cincinnati had no answer, marking the turning point in a game that would leave the Bengals looking for answers moving forward.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.J. Stroud | QB | 34 | 24 | 71% | 358 | 3 | 0 | 134.1 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 42 | 22 | 52% | 228 | 0 | 1 | 58.4 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Brown | HB | 12 | 59 | 4.9 | 25 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 20 | 57 | 2.9 | 22 | 1 | 20 | 0 |
| Antonio Gibson | HB | 7 | 19 | 2.7 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Samaje Perine | HB | 2 | 4 | 2.0 | — | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| C.J. Stroud | QB | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Woody Marks | FB | 4 | 1 | 0.3 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Dalton Schultz | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bo Melton | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Erick All Jr | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nico Collins | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bo Melton | WR | 11 | 178 | 16.2 | 85 | 1 | 68 | 0 |
| Nico Collins | WR | 3 | 88 | 29.3 | 66 | 2 | 53 | 1 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 5 | 73 | 14.6 | 24 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Dalton Schultz | TE | 6 | 63 | 10.5 | 13 | 0 | 28 | 1 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 4 | 43 | 10.8 | 10 | 0 | 28 | 1 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 6 | 40 | 6.7 | 30 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Andrei Iosivas | WR | 2 | 37 | 18.5 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Woody Marks | FB | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Jaylin Noel | WR | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Samaje Perine | HB | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Erick All Jr | TE | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Marlin Klein | TE | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Colbie Young | WR | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derek Stingley Jr | CB | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Newton | CB | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kamari Lassiter | CB | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jordan Battle | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Boye Mafe | REDG | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Dugger | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kader Kohou | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Anderson Jr | LEDG | 1 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mekhi Blackmon | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathan Allen | DT | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dexter Lawrence II | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oren Burks | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cashius Howell | REDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lewis Cine | SS | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jalen Pitre | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Calen Bullock | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaiir Elam | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Danielle Hunter | REDG | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kayden McDonald | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Germaine Pratt | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Barrett Carter | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Azeez Al-Shaair | MIKE | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Logan Hall | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tacario Davis | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sheldon Rankins | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| E.J. Speed | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan McPherson | K | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Ka'imi Fairbairn | K | 2 | 2 | 5 | 46 |

