Week 2 of the NFL season started Thursday night with an exhilarating matchup between the Houston Texans and Cincinnati Bengals, two teams that combined for seven points in their season-opening losses.
Andy Dalton continued his struggles after turning the ball over five times in Week 1. Meanwhile, rookie Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson was sacked three times in his first NFL start.
In the end, Houston came out on top in a high-scoring affair by the score of 13-9. Here are seven players who stood out from the drama-filled Thursday Night Football matchup.
Jadeveon Clowney, defensive end, Houston Texans
Clowney got the scoring started in the first quarter when he recovered a John Ross fumble, returning it 49 yards to Cincinnati’s 20-yard line. Sure this was a case of Clowney being in the right situation at the right time, but playmakers make plays. That’s exactly what he did to set the Texans up for the first score of a game, a 26-yard field goal from Ka’imi Fairbairn.
When you have a rookie quarterback under center, it’s vital for your defense to come to play. Along with Benardrick McKinney, Zach Cunningham and J.J. Watt, that’s exactly what Clowney did on Thursday.
A.J. Green, wide receiver, Cincinnati Bengals
In a game with very little star power on the offensive side of the ball, it’s rather easy to conclude that Green was the best playmaker of the bunch. He showed this, and a lot more, with a dazzling 50-yard catch over three Texans defenders. Notice how Green spotted the ball before each defensive back? He then went up and got it for the biggest play of the game. This would ultimately set up the Bengals’ first score of the season, a 39-yard field goal from Randy Bullock.
Unfortunately for Green and the rest of the Bengals, Andy Dalton seemingly forgot about the Pro Bowler as the game progressed. He was targeted just seven times throughout the evening, include zero targets on Cincinnati’s final possession.
Benardrick McKinney, linebacker, Houston Texans
Now tasked with calling the plays on defense after fellow linebacker Brian Cushing was suspended 10 games, this former second-round pick from Mississippi State came up big time on Thursday. In addition to recording Houston’s first sack of the game, he put up six tackles, three tackles for loss and two solo tackles as well as another sack in a tremendous all-around performance.
This is the type of performance the Texans have been hoping for from McKinney. He’ll likely slot in as the full-time play caller next to rookie Zach Cunningham over the long term. That’s not a bad linebacker duo right there.
Geno Atkins, defensive tackle, Cincinnati Bengals.
We noted earlier on Thursday that the Texans might be setting Deshaun Watson up to fail in his first NFL start. Nowhere there was it indicated that Watson might not survive the actual game itself. And if we were to ask Atkins’ for his opinion, Watson likely wouldn’t have.
After recording a sack in the first quarter, Atkins absolutely laid into Watson late in the second quarter. It’s a hit that they could likely hear from Cleveland. All said, Atkins would put up two sacks in a brilliant overall performance. He remains one of the best interior pass rushers in modern NFL history. That was magnified against an overmatched Texans offensive line on Thursday.
D.J. Reader, defensive tackle, Houston Texans
Reader helped anchor a Texans defensive line that held the Bengals to 82 yards on 24 rush attempts. He dominated the interior of a lackluster Cincinnati offensive line to the tune of six tackles.
He also opened pass-rushing lanes for both J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney in this one. It might not show up on the stat sheet, but this massive 325-pound second-year player performed exceptionally well on Thursday.
Deshaun Watson, quarterback, Houston Texans
We have to give Watson credit for hanging in there. Tasked with starting on a short week after his offensive line yielded 10 sacks in Week 1, Watson was game. His numbers might not have been great, but the reigning national champion proved his worth under less-than-stellar situations in his first NFL start. On the road. On national television.
Late in the second quarter, the Texans’ offense needed a spark. That’s when Watson broke off this dazzling 49-yard touchdown run on third-and-long. This is what he brings to the table, much more so than Tom Savage. While the quarterback might have only passed for 125 yards, at the very least Watson showed the spotlight wasn’t too big for him. With odds stacked against the rookie, he more than proved his worth as a starter for the team.
DeAndre Hopkins, wide receiver, Houston Texans
It might have taken some time for Hopkins to find a connection with Deshaun Watson. But that most definitely happened during Houston’s time-consuming field goal drive late in the fourth quarter to put this one on ice. Sure some will conclude that he committed multiple offensive pass interference penalties against Adam Jones (one was called), but Hopkins saved his rookie quarterback multiple times at the end.
All said, the former Pro Bowler recorded three receptions for 29 yards on that final drive. He also drew a defensive pass interference penalty on Jones to extend the drive. When all was said and done Thursday night in Cincinnati, Houston’s No. 1 receiver recorded seven catches for 73 yards. This accounted for well over half of Watson’s passing yards on the evening.