The Cincinnati Bengals moved to 2-0 with a 20-6 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday. Their defense held Houston without a touchdown and limited the Texans to 60 rushing yards.

Dexter Lawrence II made his presence felt, delivering a monster performance with four tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack.

Rex Ryan, the former NFL head coach and current ESPN analyst, highlighted Lawrence while discussing the Bengals' start on Get Up. Ryan pointed to him as a major reason behind Cincinnati's improved play:

“They got the man in the middle. Dexter Lawrence to me—why in the world would you give up a top 10 pick in the draft—why? Because of this monster in sight. This is the best defensive tackle in football. He's not just a run defender. Even though he absolutely dominates in the run game, he collapses the pocket on the pass.”

Ryan then summed up Lawrence's impact on the Bengals:

“This guy has been a game changer for them.”

Ryan's comments underline why Cincinnati made Lawrence a major part of its defensive overhaul before this season.

Bengals' blockbuster trade for Dexter Lawrence already paying dividends

The Bengals acquired Dexter Lawrence from the New York Giants in April, sending the No. 10 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to the New York Giants.

The Giants used that selection on Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa. Meanwhile, Cincinnati also gave Lawrence a one-year extension through 2028.

After three straight Pro Bowl selections from 2022 through 2024, Lawrence's monster showing against Houston provided an early indication of why the Bengals made such a significant investment in him.

Written by

Sayantan