A back problem after one game
Joe Burrow cannot say when it happened. Somewhere inside Cincinnati’s 33-27 win over Tampa Bay last Sunday his back tightened up, and by Wednesday he was a limited participant in practice with a trip to Houston four days away.
His position has not moved. “I think every game is important,” he said at his Wednesday press conference. “I’ll do what it takes to be out there. If I’m not having surgery, I’ll be out there.”
The number behind that stubbornness is worth sitting with. Burrow has reached 16 games in a season three times in six years. Turf toe limited him to eight appearances last season. For a quarterback of his standing, availability has been the one line on the résumé that refuses to improve, and Cincinnati have built a 1-0 start around him again.
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Houston’s pass rush is the wrong opponent for a sore back
The Texans arrive at 0-1 with Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter waiting. “We certainly have our work cut out for us,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “They have elite talent across the board on their defense.”
Burrow went 25 of 35 for 254 yards with a touchdown and an interception against the Buccaneers. The alarming detail was elsewhere: Ja’Marr Chase, a five-time Pro Bowler, finished with two catches for 12 yards. “There’s really no excuse for that, to be quite honest,” Taylor said.
Houston have their own repair work
The 36 points Buffalo hung on the Texans were the second-most they have conceded in more than three seasons under DeMeco Ryans, behind only a 39-37 win over Tampa Bay in Week 9 of 2023. Houston sacked Josh Allen twice after getting to him eight times when the teams met in 2025.
“That’s probably the best thing that could have happened to us,” Anderson said. “We got hit in the mouth and now we know how to respond.”
Linebacker Henry To’oTo’o went on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. Jadeveon Clowney (knee) and Jake Hummel (groin) missed Wednesday’s session, and Nico Collins was limited with a hamstring problem.
History sits with the hosts. Houston have won nine of the past 11 meetings, including playoff wins in the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
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