The Bengals keep making the same choice, and it keeps rubbing people the wrong way.
When Cincinnati has Joe Burrow and an offense rolling, the instinct should be simple: stay aggressive and keep the pressure on. Instead, the Bengals have too often backed off and tried to win field position, even when the offense is already moving the ball. That approach came up again after Sunday’s game, and former Bengals tackle Andrew Whitworth didn’t hide how much it bothered him on his podcast FITZ and WHITZ.
“Here’s my philosophy: Give the ball back to Joe Burrow,” Whitworth said. “I don’t care if it’s on the 40.
I don’t care if we’re on our own 10. Okay, Joe Burrow, get that offense on the field.
I feel pretty good with a lead. Like they’re going to find a way to get some points.
That moment there drove me crazy. Trying to do too much.
We don’t need to steal a possession, we don’t need to block the punt and get short field. We drove up and down the field all day.
Just get the ball back to Burrow and get off the grass. Get off the grass, get the possession, let’s go play.”
There is some hindsight baked into all of this, but the larger point is hard to ignore. The Bengals were willing to let the defense go win it against the Houston Texans. Why not let the offense do the same when it was humming Sunday?
That frustration fits with the broader conversation around Cincinnati right now. The message from the team’s leaders is straightforward: finish drives, move on, and trust the depth.
The Bengals know they won’t catch anyone sleeping. After Week 2, plenty of people were talking up the defense around the league, and that means every opponent is bringing its best shot.
The margin for playing cautiously is thin.
The defensive side has its own cleanup work to handle, too. Dexter Lawrence talked about trimming the penalties and mistakes that hurt them Sunday.
The Bengals gave up some big runs, but the bigger problem was finishing tackles. Too many runners were breaking free or falling forward after contact, and that adds up quickly.
The players behind the defensive line have to be tougher.
There was also the usual mess with the Steelers, including the leg-hold conversation that drew attention after the game. As one note put it, at least one of the plays could have been seen as him being engaged with a blocker, and another went low. The reaction was sharp, and the mockery afterward only added to it.
Across the rest of the NFL, the Browns’ 27-24 win over the Steelers on Thursday night was another reminder of how quickly a season can turn. Cleveland is 3-1, the offense looks competent, and they found a way to finish a tight game. That Week 3 loss for the Bengals is starting to look like one that could loom larger later.
There was at least one bright spot for Cincinnati on the honors front. Evan McPherson won AFC Special Teams Player of the Month, and he leads the league with five field goals from 50 yards or more. He’s been one of the more underrated weapons on the roster, even if fans may be starting to take that for granted.
Looking ahead, two experts picked the Bengals to beat the next opponent, and the game has the feel of something that could matter again down the line in the playoff picture. A win would move Cincinnati to 3-1 and come at a good time, with the schedule beginning to open up. It should be a high-powered matchup, and the biggest swing factors could be turnovers and penalties.
In Other News...
Steelers Secondary Suddenly Has A New Problem Fans Can't Ignore
The Bengals Week 3 win over Pittsburgh carried more than one ripple effect, especially along the Steelers defense, where Cincinnati helped neutralize T.J. Watt and keep the pass rush from taking over. Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher singled out right tackle Amarius Mims for the job he did in that matchup, a sign that the rookies work in pass protection may have mattered as much as anything else in helping Cincinnati survive the front end of Pittsburghs pressure package.
Now the attention shifts to a Steelers secondary that suddenly looks far less stable than it did just a week ago. Jalen Ramsey said he broke his right wrist in the game against Cincinnati, while Joey Porter Jr. briefly returned to practice before being ruled out for the next game because of a back injury and then dealt to the Cowboys, leaving Pittsburgh with another hole to fill on the back end. For a Bengals team that already showed it can hold up against the Steelers best rusher, the changing picture in that secondary only adds to the intrigue the next time these teams line up. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Have A Discipline Problem They Cant Keep Ignoring
For a team that spent the 2025 season near the top of the NFLs cleanest clubs, the Bengals early return in 2026 has been jarring. Cincinnati ranked second in fewest penalties overall last year, but through three games this season the group has already piled up the most pre-snap penalties in the league and sits fifth in total flags, a sharp swing that has changed the feel of drives before they can really get going.
The problem is not just the number of penalties, but when they arrive. Several have wiped out key plays and turned manageable moments into long, frustrating possessions, with the visible irritation spreading across the sideline. For a team trying to stay sharp in a tight AFC race, the question is no longer whether the issue is real - it is how long the Bengals can keep treating it like a temporary glitch. [Read more 🡒]
Ja'Marr Chase Opens Up About Bengals Fun The NFL Might Not Love
JaMarr Chase gave fans a little more of the personality that has made him one of the Bengals most watchable stars, bringing Dexter Lawrence and Tee Higgins onto his podcast, Chasing No 1, for a light conversation that drifted from training camp trash talk to the kind of end zone flair that keeps games from feeling too buttoned-up. The exchange with Lawrence about their camp back-and-forth had the easy feel of players who know how to needle each other without taking it too far, while Chase and Higgins also got into the new touchdown celebrations they have been using this season.
For Chase, the bigger point was pretty simple: celebrations are part of the fun, and the NFLs stars should be able to show a little personality after finding the end zone. It is the kind of stance Bengals fans have come to expect from Chase, who tends to treat the game like entertainment as much as competition, and it adds another layer to a team that already leans into swagger when it is at its best. [Read more 🡒]