Stars of the Game: Ja’Marr Chase and the Bengals defense shine in Houston
· Yahoo Sports
Joe Burrow, Zac Taylor, and Dan Pitcher made it clear throughout the week after the Bengals’ Week 1 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Week 2 game at the Houston Texans: they needed to do a better job getting the ball to Ja’Marr Chase. After just two receptions for 12 yards, one of which went for -4 yards, the tone was set heading into Houston; Chase would get the ball early and often.
The best part of the week between Weeks 1 and 2 is that Chase said all the right things. He kept his head down and just went about his business. Chase let his actions speak louder than his words, and whoa, did his actions speak volumes on Saturday.
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Here is a look at our stars of the game from the Bengals’ 20-6 win over the Houston Texans.
1. Ja’Marr Chase: 7 rec., 75 yds, 2 TD
Chase had three receptions in the first quarter on Sunday, making his presence felt. The Bengals established him early, setting him up for big plays later in the game and a catch that will forever be on his highlight reel and in his future Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement video.
Chase’s 32-yard touchdown reception was a kill shot. Joe Burrow had just hit Tee Higgins for a 23-yard reception on 3rd&4 to get to the Texans’ 32-yard line. Now, it was 1st&10. The Texans had just flubbed a 34-yard field goal attempt and gotten stopped on 4th&Inches. They were on their heels. Burrow sensed that, and he went for the home run play.
Good lord, Chase’s catch is incredible. It’s so many things woven into one: body control, concentration, and footwork. Not to mention, it came against Derek Stingley Jr., one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.
But Chase wasn’t done there. On his second touchdown, it’s classic Burrow and Chase. Ja’Marr Chase knows what Joe Burrow will do when he’s out of the pocket. As soon as Burrow waved his thumb in the direction he wanted Chase to go, Chase sprinted to the right side of the end zone and hauled in a back-breaking 18-yard touchdown to put the Bengals up 17-3. It was very reminiscent of Burrow to Chase on a scramble drill against San Francisco in 2021 and against Philadelphia in 2024. This time, though, the play came in a Bengals win.
There was no need to worry about Chase after Week 1. He was in a great headspace despite small numbers, and now he’s coming off a terrific performance going into an AFC North game at Pittsburgh.
2. Dexter Lawrence: 3 TKL, 1 TFL,1 QBH
Dexter Lawrence single-handedly changed the game on Sunday in Houston. Lawrence only needed three tackles and one tackle for loss on the stat sheet because he does so many other things to impact the game.
That said, Lawrence’s fourth-down stop on David Montgomery in the second quarter is why the Bengals traded for him. It’s that kind of play, stuffing a run on fourth and TWO INCHES to completely swing the momentum of the game. The Bengals needed a stud and beast in the middle of their defense to make plays like that to swing games when they are on their heels. That’s who Lawrence is. He’s the undisputed leader of the Bengals’ defense, the guy in the center up front who sets the tone.
Lawrence’s fourth-down stop is his first big, game-changing play as a Bengal. It won’t be the last time you see him make a play like that this season.
3. Joe Burrow: 20/31, 207 yds, 2 TD, 105.2 Passer Rating
Back tightness, Houston’s defense, clunky offense at times? None of it mattered for Joe Burrow on Sunday, who diced up the Texans and played a clean game despite taking five sacks.
This is one of my favorite Joe Burrow games in his career. Given the week leading up to the game and the opponent, Burrow displayed a calm and toughness that made him one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks in 2021 and 2022.
There’s no question Burrow is still one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks. Yes, he hasn’t posted prolific numbers yet this season. However, he’s still been productive through two games. Burrow only needed to throw for 207 yards on Sunday for the Bengals to have success against Houston, or, as he said, he only needed to be “incredibly average.”
Here is one way to interpret that quote: this is Burrow’s floor, and that’s been good enough for the Bengals to win their first two games of the season. Just wait till Burrow starts putting up elite numbers on offense.
4. Demetrius Knight Jr.: 12 TKL, 1 QBH
Knight led the Bengals in tackles on Sunday, and it was one of the first times in his young career I thought he looked like he belonged on an NFL field as a linebacker. He finally looks like a guy who can rally to the ball, take the right angle for a tackle, and knows where the ball is going.
If Knight is leading the Bengals in tackles in a game, that’s really good for this revived Bengals’ defense. He was awesome on Sunday, and this is a performance he can build on.