The Cincinnati Bengals’ defense has spent the first two weeks of the season leaving messes behind it. Tampa Bay felt it first.
Houston felt it next. And now the Pittsburgh Steelers are next in line to find out what Al Golden’s 2026 group can do to an offense that’s already searching for answers.
The Bengals didn’t just play well against the Buccaneers and Texans. They turned both games into something closer to a referendum on how those teams feel about their quarterbacks.
Against Tampa Bay in Week 1, Cincinnati got to Baker Mayfield four times, forced three fumbles and recovered all three, including a scoop-and-score. Mayfield’s contract extension, worth $55 million per year and putting him on the same annual level as Joe Burrow, suddenly looked a lot less comfortable for the Bucs.
The discomfort only grew a week later. Mayfield followed that rough opener by going 21 of 34 for 182 yards, one touchdown and an interception in a loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Alex Kay of Bleacher Report listed him as one of five contracts that teams already regret just two weeks into the season. Kay wrote, “Despite being compensated as one of the NFL's best at his position, Mayfield hasn't played anywhere close to a top-five level through the first two weeks of the campaign… He's turned the ball over four times and taken seven sacks, a large reason why the Bucs are off to an 0-2 start and are already in real danger of missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year.”
Cincinnati’s work against Houston was just as disruptive, even without a turnover. The Bengals sacked C.J.
Stroud four times and held the Texans to six points, making the rookie-looking stat line feel like something more than a bad afternoon. Stroud entered the season having turned down a $50 million per year extension in hopes of landing closer to $60 million per year, and that gamble has not aged well after two weeks.
The Texans and Stroud had tried to get a deal done before the regular season, but both sides decided to wait until after the year, according to Adam Schefter and RapSheet.
For now, that decision looks shakier by the week. Cincinnati’s defense at least kept things respectful while it made the point. That was not the case for the Bills’ defensive back CJ Gardner-Johnson, who took a different route in talking about Stroud.
Now the Bengals get a shot at a two-for-one special.
Aaron Rodgers returned to the Steelers at age 42, with his 43rd birthday coming in December, and Pittsburgh spent most of the offseason waiting on a final answer about whether he would come back. Rodgers clearly wants another run at it.
He wants to prove he can still play at a high level and push his team into the playoffs. But the first two weeks have not gone smoothly.
The Steelers’ offense has been one of the least productive groups in the league despite a 1-1 start. They’ve run the third-fewest plays in the red zone this season, behind only the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots, and they sit 31st in scoring, ahead of only the Falcons.
So Week 3 gives Cincinnati another chance to do what it’s done best so far: show up, wreck timing, and leave a quarterback room and a front office with a lot to think about. If the Bengals’ defense keeps this pace, Pittsburgh could become the third franchise already feeling the aftershocks.
In Other News...
Bengals Still Have One Awkward Flacco Question Hanging Over Them
Joe Flacco spent part of the week batting away a familiar kind of noise, this time tied to the New York Giants and the possibility of a move that would have thinned the Bengals' quarterback room. He said he has no reason to believe Cincinnati is looking to trade him, and for now he is operating exactly where the team has him, as the backup quarterback and a veteran option waiting in reserve.
Flacco also said trades can still surface out of nowhere, which is part of what keeps these rumors alive even when the player involved is trying not to entertain them. A few friends had fun with the idea of a reunion with Giants head coach John Harbaugh, but Flacco made clear those whispers are not grounded in anything real, leaving the Bengals with the quieter, more awkward question of how much longer this storyline lingers. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Enter Steelers Showdown With One Major Defensive Concern
The Bengals head into their matchup with the Steelers carrying more than the usual early-season injury unease, and the middle of their defense is the spot worth watching most closely. Defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and B.J. Hill have both missed multiple practices, with Allen's absence tied to load management and Hill's availability still unclear, leaving Cincinnati with some uncertainty right where Pittsburgh likes to lean on opponents.
Andrei Iosivas is also expected to land on injured reserve, which trims another option from the mix as the Bengals sort through their lineup for a game that already has a physical feel to it. On the other side, Pittsburgh has its own questions, with cornerback Joey Porter Jr. limited and possibly available, while Michael Pittman and Jaylen Warren were also limited as the Steelers wait for further evaluation heading into Sunday. [Read more 🡒]
JaMarr Chase Could Make Bengals History In Pittsburgh
JaMarr Chase is headed into Pittsburgh with another benchmark hanging in the balance, and it is the kind of milestone that says as much about his start as a pro as it does about what the Bengals have built around him. He is fewer than 80 yards from 7,000 for his career, a total that would underscore just how quickly he has become one of the leagues most productive receivers.
If Chase gets there in his 81st game, he would move into rare company and sit fourth all-time for fewest games needed to reach the mark, ahead of Jerry Rice and Randy Moss. For Cincinnati, it is one more reminder that every trip to the field with Chase carries history-watch potential, even before the bigger questions around the season or the matchup are fully sorted out. [Read more 🡒]