Ja'Marr Chase Makes Bold Claim After Bengals Defense Dominates in Week 2

The Bengals are seemingly being led by their defense, not their offense, this season.

Sep 20, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) celebrates after defeating the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cincinnati Bengals traveled to Houston to matchup against the Houston Texans in an intriguing Week 2 matchup on Sunday. The Texans have one of the best defenses in the league and entered the game as the favorites over the Bengals. Cincinnati needed a big game from wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, and that's exactly what they got.

Chase made a miraculous catch for his first touchdown of the season in the second quarter. Later in the game, he brought in another touchdown to cap his day off with seven catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns against one of the most dominant defenses in recent memory. This performance helped lead the Bengals to a 20-6 victory over Houston as Cincinnati improved its record to 2-0 on the season.

Despite Chase's dominant performance, he credited the defense as the "backbone" of the team through two games.

Ja'Marr Chase Calls Bengals Defense the 'Backbone' of the Team

Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II (97) drives into Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) as he throws in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 2 game between the Houston Texans and the Cincinnati Bengals at Reliant Stadium in Houston on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. The Bengals improved to 2-0 on the season with a 20-6 win on the road. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“I can’t even describe how much I love our defense right now," Chase said following Sunday's victory over the Texans. "They’re our backbone. We’re going to feed off their energy.”

The Bengals' defense has been incredible through two games. They forced multiple turnovers and scored a defensive touchdown in their Week 1 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But they still faced some criticism from doubters that they might struggle to consistently stop opposing offenses when the turnovers weren't there.

Instead, the Bengals forced five punts from the Texans on Sunday. They allowed a pair of field goals while forcing Houston to turn the ball over on downs four different times as they held the Texans to six points.

Dexter Lawrence played a huge role in the Bengals' big win. Dax Hill was seemingly all over the field for the entire game. Cedric Johnson, Shemar Stewart, and Jonathan Allen combined for four sacks in the win.

This defense has gone from a weakness to a strength in the span of one year. If the Bengals' defense can continue to produce at this level, they could be a Super Bowl favorite by the end of the year.

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