The Houston Texans (0-1) started slow against the Bengals on Sunday, but a field goal near the end of the second quarter made it 7-3 by halftime. The Texans should have at least two more field goals on the board, but a botched snap and greedy play calling cost them three points on two separate occasions. Thankfully for Houston, the defense is playing much better than it did in week one.
The Texans allowed just 35 yards through the Bengals' first four drives. On the fifth drive, Cincinnati QB Joe Burrow found his favorite target in WR Jamarr Chase for a 32-yard touchdown on a nice back-shoulder throw, and Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. had almost no chance to defend it.
Inside the hectic first half of Texans vs Bengals
Neither team got anything going in the first quarter until Texans QB CJ Stroud found tight end Dalton Schultz for a 35-yard gain. Not long after, Houston was in Bengals territory for the first time. It came down to a 4th and four at the Cincinnati 16 yard line, and the Texans trotted out the field goal team. The snap was low, and punter/holder Kai Kroeger couldn't handle it, resulting in a missed opportunity for points.
On the next Houston possession, the offense got the ball back into the redzone. The Texans reached 4th and inches, and instead of trying another field goal, they handed it off to David Montgomery, and he got stuffed by Dexter Lawrence. Montgomery has solid power, of course, but when the game is still 0-0 and the offense is struggling, taking the field goal would have been the better move.
With the absence of WR Nico Collins, the Texans are relying more on Schultz, Xavier Hutchinson and Kayshon Boutte. Running back Woody Marks has also made an impact with three receptions. Defensively, safety Reed Blankenship stepped his game up in the first half. As long as the Texans defense remains stout, they should be able to come back and get a victory in the second half. However, Houston needs to take advantage of their opportunities to score points.
Add us as a preferred source on Google