Houston Texans stumble to 0-2 again after loss to the Bengals and seek to avoid another 0-3 start

The Houston Texans suffered a second consecutive loss, starting their season 0-2 after falling to the Cincinnati Bengals. The team seeks to avoid a third straight opening week defeat. "You've got to go back to work," linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair stated. "We’re better than to be in this position. But that’s the NFL."

Ja’Marr Chase scored two touchdowns for Cincinnati, assisted by Joe Burrow’s passing. Bengals quarterback Burrow led the team to a 20-6 victory. Coach DeMeco Ryans emphasized the team's focus on improvement, stating, "This team right now, the 2026 Texans have to dig deep, look deep within ourselves and see how can we find a way to play better football." Ryans highlighted the lack of offensive control and the Texans' inability to score in the red zone as key issues.

Quarterback C.J. Stroud completed 30 of 55 passes for 353 yards but failed to secure a touchdown as the Texans struggled to protect him, resulting in four sacks in the fourth quarter. The offense failed to convert on fourth-down attempts and turned the ball over twice. The Texans' defense, while better than in Week 1, failed to force a turnover for the second straight game.

Coach Ryans admitted that the team has faced similar situations before but stressed the need for accountability and improvement. Stroud echoed this sentiment, acknowledging the necessary adjustments to secure victories. "Sadly, we’ve been here before," he said. "But I think we just have to hold each other accountable. We have to get better. There are a lot of things that we need to be doing better if we’re going to win. I think we’ll have some conversations this week about that and get some things fixed."