Quarterbacks Joe Burrow and C.J. Stroud face off as the Bengals host Texans
HOUSTON (4-4) at CINCINNATI (5-3)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS
OPENING LINE: Bengals by 6 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Texans 4-4-0, Bengals 4-3-1.
SERIES RECORD: Texans lead 8-5.
LAST MEETING: Bengals beat Texans 37-31 on Dec. 27, 2020, in Houston.
LAST WEEK: Texans beat Buccaneers 39-37; Bengals beat Bills 24-18.
TEXANS OFFENSE: OVERALL (9), RUSH (27), PASS (4), SCORING (11)
TEXANS DEFENSE: OVERALL (18), RUSH (10), PASS (24), SCORING (T14)
BENGALS OFFENSE: OVERALL (25), RUSH (32), PASS (18), SCORING (23)
BENGALS DEFENSE: OVERALL (27), RUSH (27), PASS (22), SCORING (12)
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Texans plus-5; Bengals plus-9.
TEXANS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB C.J. Stroud set the NFL record for most yards passing by a rookie Sunday by throwing for 470 yards and five touchdowns. The second overall pick in the NFL draft ranks seventh in the NFL and first among rookies with 2,270 yards passing. He has thrown 14 touchdown passes with just one interception.
BENGALS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Joe Burrow's calf injury is behind him, and he's had a couple of great weeks. Last Sunday night, Burrow threw for a season-high 348 yards and two touchdowns in a win over the Bills. He's thrown for 10 of his 12 touchdowns during Cincinnati's four-game win streak.
KEY MATCHUP: Stroud vs. Bengals defense. Stroud has gotten the Texans back on the right track. The Bengals defense is tied for the second in the NFL with 11 interceptions, and the team's plus-9 turnover differential leads the league.
KEY INJURIES: Houston could be without kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn after he missed the second half against Tampa Bay and sat out of practice this week. The Texans signed Matt Ammendola to their practice squad Tuesday and he will fill in if Fairbairn sits out. … RB Dameon Pierce missed last week’s game with an ankle injury and could be out again after sitting out practice this week. … The Texans placed DT Hassan Ridgeway and S M.J. Stewart on the injured reserve this week after they were hurt against the Buccaneers. ... Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase (back), DE Sam Hubbard (ankle) and WR Tee Higgins (hamstring) have been limited in practice this week.
SERIES NOTES: The Texans have won eight of the past 10, including five in a row from 2008 to 2013. Houston beat Cincinnati in two straight wild-card playoff games, 31-10 after the 2011 season, and 19-13 after the 2012 season. The Bengals' longest win streak in the series was three games in 2002, ‘03 and ’05.
STATS AND STUFF: Houston has already surpassed its win total from last season and a win on Sunday would give the team its most victories since going 10-6 in 2019. … WR Nico Collins had 54 yards receiving and a TD last week. … Rookie WR Tank Dell had six catches for 114 yards and two touchdowns against Tampa Bay for his second 100-yard game this season. … WR Noah Brown had six catches for a career-high 153 yards and a touchdown last week. … TE Dalton Schultz set career-highs with 10 receptions for 130 yards last week. … LB Blake Cashman led the team with 10 tackles, including two for losses last week. … Rookie LB Henry To’oTo’o had his first career forced fumble last week. … Rookie DE Will Anderson, the third overall pick in the draft, had a sack last week. … S Jalen Pitre has had at least five tackles in four straight games. ,,, Stroud needs 230 yards passing Sunday to become the fourth rookie quarterback in NFL history with at least 2,500 yards passing in his first nine career starts, joining Justin Herbert (2,699 in 2020), Andrew Luck (2,631 in 2012) and Cam Newton (2,605 in 2011). ... Cincinnati started the season with two losses and was 1-3 on Oct. 1 before winning the next four. ... WR Tee Higgins had his best game of the season against Buffalo last week, making eight catches for 110 yards. ... Burrow completed passes to eight different receivers against the Bills. ... Three Cincinnati tight ends caught passes, with Irv Smith Jr. and Drew Sample having touchdown receptions. ... The Bengals have struggled to establish their run game with No. 1 back Joe Mixon, ranking last in the league in rushing. ... K Evan McPherson has made 12 of 15 field-goal attempts, including three of at least 50 yards. ... Cincinnati has scored a TD on its opening two offensive possessions in each of the past three games. That's the first time the Bengals have done that since 1985. ... The Bengals have the best record in the NFL since 2021 when scoring first (18-2; 3-1 this season). ... Cincinnati's rivalry with NFL teams from Houston spans 70 games. The total includes 57 meetings between the Bengals and the Houston Oilers, now the Tennessee Titans.
FANTASY TIP: Higgins had his best game of the season for the Bengals last week. With defenses focusing on Ja'Marr Chase, Higgins and Tyler Boyd will get more chances.
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