Bengals build separation after halftime
Ja’Marr Chase caught two touchdown passes as the Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Houston Texans 20-6 in Week 2, improving to 2-0 and leaving Houston at 0-2. After a scoreless first quarter, Cincinnati took a 7-3 lead into halftime. The Bengals then outscored the Texans 10-3 in the third quarter to stretch their advantage to 17-6. Cincinnati added three points in the fourth while Houston went scoreless. The Bengals followed their 33-27 opening win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a victory that required far less scoring. Houston, meanwhile, fell from 31 points in its opening loss to the Buffalo Bills to six against Cincinnati.
Chase finishes, Higgins leads in receiving yards
Joe Burrow completed 20 of 31 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns. Chase caught seven of his nine targets for 75 yards and both touchdown passes. Tee Higgins led Cincinnati with 95 receiving yards, catching five passes on a team-high 10 targets. Chase Brown supplied 80 rushing yards on 20 carries and added three receptions for two yards. The Bengals got different contributions from their leading receivers: Higgins delivered the larger yardage total, while Chase’s touchdowns provided the scoring edge.
Schultz stands out despite Houston’s scoring trouble
C.J. Stroud threw for 353 yards on 30-of-55 passing and added 29 yards on three carries, but Houston’s passing production did not translate into touchdowns. Dalton Schultz accounted for 140 receiving yards, catching 12 of his 14 targets. Kayshon Boutte and Xavier Hutchinson each finished with three catches for 37 yards, though Hutchinson drew nine targets to Boutte’s five. Woody Marks managed eight rushing yards on eight carries. His receiving work added five catches for 27 yards.
Fantasy leaders and Week 3
Chase led the game with 26.5 PPR points, narrowly ahead of Schultz’s 26.0. Schultz’s heavy receiving workload made him a fantasy standout despite Houston’s six-point finish. Higgins contributed 14.5 PPR points, while Brown finished with 11.2. Stroud scored 17.0 fantasy points, edging Burrow’s 16.2 despite the difference on the scoreboard. Both teams travel in Week 3. Cincinnati visits the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Houston heads to face the Indianapolis Colts.