Houston is staring down an 0-2 start yet again after taking a brutal 20-6 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Ouch. This one felt like a punch to the gut that was way too familiar for anyone who watched last season. Since 1990, only 12 percent of teams who start 0-2 have clawed their way into the playoffs, and if history’s any guide, Houston has pulled off that trick before. But watching this game, you’ve gotta wonder how they’re gonna make it happen this time.
The Offense Is Stuck in Neutral, AGAIN
Man, the defense was out there fighting like crazy, harassing Joe Burrow all afternoon and even getting to him a few times. But in the end, the former Heisman Trophy winner and his old teammate JeMar Chase just made one too many big plays that Houston couldn’t counter. Honestly, though, the real head-scratcher was the Houston offense. They spent what felt like forever marching into Bengals territory, but what did they have to show for it? A measly six points! It was maddening to watch. We’re talking a missed field goal, a muffed snap on *another* field goal attempt, and then, to top it all off, a failed fourth and one run when they were deep inside the Bengals’ 20. Does that sound familiar? Because it should. It’s an eerie echo of last season when this offense could move the ball anywhere it wanted between the 20s, but then just completely bogged down in the red zone. And let’s not even get started on the run game. It was non-existent. Like, completely. That meant the offense became one-dimensional way too early, and yeah, that also felt eerily familiar.
Stroud Did His Part, But Caley’s Seat Is Warming Up
Look, it wasn’t a terrible game for C.J. Stroud individually. The dude threw for over 300 yards again, which is impressive especially with Nico Collins out of the lineup. He’s definitely done enough to silence some of his critics, but let’s be real: quarterbacks get paid to win games, and Stroud hasn’t gotten that done this season. This 0-2 start puts him and offensive coordinator Nick Caley squarely on the hot seat. In fact, you can almost see the steam rising from Caley’s bench right now. If there’s any small glimmer of hope, it’s the tight ends. Dalton Schultz was an absolute star in this mess, snagging twelve catches for 140 yards. Seriously, that’s a star performance when your team only scores six points! Foster Moreau also chipped in with two catches for 34 yards. So, hey, maybe that’s a bright spot to focus on in this Nick Caley offense.
We’re not at the pitchforks stage just yet for this franchise, which has come back from these early deficits before. But we are definitely at the “side eye” stage. This team needs to find a way to finish drives. Up next? The Indianapolis Colts. This is a must-win. Can Houston make those key plays the Bengals did, and turn that “side eye” into something more hopeful? We’ll see this week.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Battle Red Blog.
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