For the third time in four seasons under head coach DeMeco Ryans, the Houston Texans have started with a 0-2 record after falling 20-6 to the Bengals (2-0) on Sunday. The Texans offense looked solid in week one, but Cincinnati forced them to punt or turn the ball over on downs nine times. Houston should have scored at least six more points, but a botched snap and a missed field goal kept it from staying competitive.
Arguably the most frustrating and confusing aspect of the loss is how different the Texans looked compared to week one. Sure, they were missing wide receiver Nico Collins and starting guard Ed Ingram, but the offense should have been able to move the ball more consistently. CJ Stroud made some nice throws, resulting in 353 passing yards, but that's the only positive take away from his performance.
The defense played much better than week one. The front four created pressure on Joe Burrow throughout the game, but the secondary couldn't always hold up against WR Jamarr Chase. With all of this in mind, here are my winners and losers from Houston's loss.
Bengals may have exposed the Texans' true weaknesses
Stroud struggled without Collins, and the offense looked lackluster as a whole. None of the Houston wide receivers had more than three receptions, despite being targeted at least five times each. Even after a 31-point performance in week one, there is at least one reason to be concerned about the offense.
Losers: The offensive line and field goal units
The Texans rushed for just 60 yards on 18 carries Sunday. Most of the blame goes on the offensive line, and even without Ingram, it should have been more effective. The Texans allowed four sacks and eight TFLs, which is tough to survive for any offense. The Cincinnati defensive tackles combined for four TFLs alone, so the interior of the offensive line must have been seriously compromised without Ingram.
Houston's field goal unit should be included in the highlights for this game, but for all the wrong reasons. On their third drive of the game, with the score at 0-0, the Texans offense drove the ball into the redzone and settled for three points. The snap was low, punter/holder Kai Kroeger couldn't handle it, and they turned it over on downs instead.
In the middle of the third quarter, with the score at 10-3, kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn came up about two feet short on a 58-yard field goal. Just last week, Fairbairn made a field goal of the same length, and his career-long is 61 yards. Including the drive in which the Texans went for it on fourth down instead of kicking a short field goal, they missed out on nine points because of the field goal unit.
The playcalling was also questionable on Sunday, as running back David Montgomery only had six carries compared to eight for Woody Marks. The latter is the more effective pass catcher, but he should never have more carries in a game if both are healthy. After scoring three touchdowns in his debut, there is no excuse for Montgomery to only have eight total touches against the Bengals.
Winners: TE Dalton Schultz and DE Will Anderson Jr.
No Collins meant Dalton Schultz was the focal point of the Texans passing game, and he had a monster day. The tight end hauled in career-highs of 12 receptions and 140 receiving yards, including a one-handed snag in the fourth quarter. As long as Collins is sidelined, Schultz would be a great add to your fantasy team.
It took him a game to warm up, but DE Will Anderson Jr. seemed to be back to himself against the Bengals. Anderson recorded his first full sack of the season (0.5 in week one), and he finished second on the team in tackles with eight. He also tied for a game-high with three TFLs. He didn't quite dominate, but he was much more noticeable than week one.
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