Ja'Marr Chase makes a poster catch to give Bengals 7-3 halftime lead

Ja Marr Chase, known for starting slowly in Week 1 of the NFL season and then exploding in Week 2, made an incredible catch with just 3:29 left until halftime on Sunday. The Bengals' receiver, facing tight coverage from Derek Stingley, managed to secure a 32-yard touchdown pass, evoking memories of Odell Beckham Jr.'s remarkable catch over Brandon Carr in 2014.

Standing at 4 catches for 48 yards, Chase contributed significantly to the Bengals' 7-3 halftime lead against the Texans in a closely contested defensive battle. The Texans, however, outgained the Bengals 208 to 156 and sacked Joe Burrow three times. Houston failed to score in the red zone, with drives ending at the Cincinnati 16, 18, and 19-yard lines.

Twice, they turned the ball over on downs, including once when Kai Kroeger dropped a chip-shot field goal attempt from the 16-yard line. Despite the struggles, kicker Ka'im I Fairbairn managed to kick a 37-yard field goal with 1:17 left in the half. Burrow had 12 completions on 19 attempts for 129 yards and a touchdown, while Tee Higgins caught four passes for 72 yards.

Chase Brown, on the other hand, had seven carries for 42 yards. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud completed 15 of 24 passes for 182 yards, and tight end Dalton Schultz had four catches for 68 yards. David Montgomery contributed only 10 yards on six carries.