Ja’Marr Chase Scores Twice as Bengals Beat Texans 20-6.

HOUSTON — Ja’Marr Chase delivered a much bigger performance in Week 2, catching two touchdown passes from Joe Burrow as the Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Houston Texans 20-6 on Sunday. Chase entered the game after catching only two passes for 12 yards in Cincinnati’s season-opening victory over Tampa Bay. The Bengals emphasized getting their star receiver more involved against Houston, and Chase quickly became a major part of the offense. His first touchdown came late in the second quarter when he made an impressive 32-yard grab over Derek Stingley Jr., keeping his feet in bounds to give Cincinnati a 7-0 advantage. Burrow praised the play after the game, calling it one of the best catches he had seen Chase make. Chase later found the end zone again in the third quarter. He caught an 18-yard touchdown pass in front of Reed Blankenship, extending Cincinnati’s lead to 17-3.

Chase finished with seven receptions for 75 yards. Tee Higgins led the Bengals in receiving yards with five catches for 95 yards. Burrow completed 20 of 31 passes for 207 yards while dealing with back tightness that had limited his practice time during the week. Cincinnati also received three field goals from Evan McPherson, including kicks from 51 and 57 yards. His 57-yarder early in the fourth quarter gave the Bengals a 20-6 lead.

Houston struggled to establish its running game throughout the afternoon. The Texans finished with only 18 rushing yards from their backs and failed to reach the end zone. C.J. Stroud completed 30 of 55 passes for 353 yards, but Houston's offense repeatedly stalled. The Texans also played without wide receiver Nico Collins, who had been a key part of their 31-point performance against Buffalo in Week 1. Houston reached the Cincinnati 18-yard line in the second quarter but failed to convert on fourth-and-inches after David Montgomery was stopped by Dexter Lawrence. Ka’imi Fairbairn made field goals of 37 and 45 yards for Houston, but the Texans could not generate enough offense to close the gap. The loss dropped Houston to 0-2 after opening the season with a 36-31 defeat against Buffalo. Cincinnati improved to 2-0. The Bengals will travel to face the Pittsburgh Steelers next Sunday, while the Texans will visit the Indianapolis Colts.