The Cincinnati Bengals have won three straight and moved into second place in the AFC North, but the defense is carrying a problem that keeps getting louder. Al Golden’s unit has now handed out back-to-back career days to opposing quarterbacks, and now Michael Penix and the Atlanta Falcons are next up in Madrid.
That’s the part that should worry Cincinnati. The Bengals’ pass defense has been giving quarterbacks exactly the kind of afternoon they dream about, and the timing couldn’t be worse with another passer on deck who has already shown he can put up numbers.
Last week against the Baltimore Ravens, Tyler Huntley posted the best passing output of his career. “Snoop,” as he’s known, went 23-for-34 for 298 yards and a touchdown in a losing effort.
Then on Sunday, Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward topped that with a career-high 304 passing yards. Ward had only cleared 200 yards once this season before that, when he threw for 222 yards, a touchdown and an interception against Baltimore.
His previous career best had been 265 yards last year against the Arizona Cardinals, and that game, like his outings against the Bengals and Ravens, ended in a loss.
Now the Bengals have to deal with Penix, who is coming off a rough one and looking for a reset. Atlanta was blanked by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the Falcons will want that zero-point outing to be treated as an outlier.
Penix has thrown for more than 300 yards twice in his career: 312 yards in Week 17 of his rookie season in 2024 against the Carolina Panthers, and 313 yards against the Washington Commanders in Week 4 last year. This season, since returning from injury and taking over as the starter in Week 3, he hasn’t gone over 256 passing yards.
He’s also coming off an 8-for-24 performance for 125 yards and four interceptions.
That doesn’t mean Atlanta has to lean on Penix alone. The Falcons also bring Bijan Robinson, and he gives Cincinnati another problem to solve.
Robinson is a threat as a runner and as a receiver, and he already has an eight-catch, 90-yard receiving game this season. He’s second on the team in receptions behind Drake London and third in receiving yards behind London and Jahan Dotson.
For a Bengals defense that has had trouble handling pass catchers in the middle of the field, that’s a dangerous matchup.
Cincinnati’s secondary is also thinner than it was a week ago. Cornerback DJ Turner left the Titans game with an injury and was declared out quickly, which makes his status for Sunday look bleak.
Even if he somehow gets back on the field, he would not be at 100 percent. If Turner is forced to miss significant time, the Bengals will be even more vulnerable on the back end.
So Golden has plenty to sort through before the trip to Spain turns into another quarterback showcase. The Bengals have a winning streak, but their defense is inviting too many opposing passers to set personal bests. If that trend continues against Penix and the Falcons, the streak that matters most may be the one Cincinnati wants to stop.
In Other News...
Chase Brown Is Giving The Bengals Something This Offense Needs
The Bengals needed a steady hand out of the backfield in their overtime win over the Titans, and Chase Brown kept giving them exactly that. He was involved as both a runner and a receiver, finishing with eight catches for 46 yards and 12 carries for 55 yards, the kind of workload that shows how much the offense is leaning on him in key moments.
What has made Brown more than just a useful change-of-pace option is the growing trust around him in pass protection, which has become a real factor in how Cincinnati can deploy its offense. With the Bengals looking for stability behind the line and more balance in the backfield, Browns expanded role feels like one of the more important developments to watch as the season moves along. [Read more 🡒]
Dexter Lawrence Is Carrying A Bengals Defense Fans Still Can't Trust
Dexter Lawrence was all over the field in the Bengals overtime win against the Titans, the kind of disruptive night that can tilt a game even when the rest of the defense still feels shaky. He finished with 5 run stops, 2 pressures, a sack, a fumble recovery and 7 total tackles, and he kept drawing double teams while still finding ways to affect the pocket and the run game.
For Cincinnati, the encouraging part is obvious: one of its most important defensive pieces is playing at a high level and showing up in the biggest moments. The frustrating part is just as clear, because the Bengals still have enough issues around him that one standout performance does not erase the larger trust problem on that side of the ball. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Face Trade Deadline Pressure To Fix Two Key Weaknesses
With the trade deadline approaching, the Bengals are being pushed to look hard at two spots that have drawn attention all season: running back and outside linebacker. Cincinnati has reportedly been weighing roster upgrades, and the conversation has already turned to names that could help balance out the offense and give the defense a little more juice off the edge.
One league observer has pointed to Tampa Bay running back Kenneth Gainwell and Washington edge rusher K'Lavon Chaisson as possible fits, which at least shows the kind of profile Cincinnati may be chasing. Gainwell landed with the Buccaneers on a new deal after leaving Pittsburgh, while Chaisson has flashed pass-rushing ability on a short-term contract in Washington, leaving the Bengals with a familiar deadline question: whether the right move is available now, and how aggressive they want to be in fixing both problems. [Read more 🡒]