Al Golden didn’t sound ready to stamp a full-blown identity on his Bengals defense after only two games, but the first thing that keeps jumping off the tape is hard to miss: the pass rush.
That was especially true in Cincinnati’s 20-6 win over the Houston Texans on Sept. 20, when the Bengals made life miserable for CJ Stroud and turned pressure into the kind of game plan Golden has been talking about since the offseason. The numbers backed it up, too. NextGenStats credited Cincinnati with a 43.5% pressure rate in Houston, the highest since Golden took over as defensive coordinator ahead of the 2025 season.
The Bengals finished with 41 combined quarterback pressures, a major jump from the per-game average during Zac Taylor’s tenure. Five players got to at least four pressures: Jonathan Allen with seven, Boye Mafe with seven, Cedric Johnson with six, Cashius Howell with five and Dexter Lawrence with four.
Johnson posted a 26% pass rush win rate, according to Pro Football Focus, while Mafe checked in at 20%.
“We’re definitely proud as a whole defense, especially after last year and the flaws that we had on defense to where we are this year,” said Howell, a rookie second-round draft pick. “Obviously, we wanted to be as intentional as we possibly could. … We’re very hyped this year to see that things have changed.”
Cincinnati’s front finished the afternoon with four sacks, seven quarterback hits and eight tackles-for-losses. Howell said the depth and variety up front is a big reason the pressure keeps coming.
“It makes it tougher on the offensive line, especially when we’ve got the type of guys that we’ve got," Howell said. "The thing about our defensive line that I feel kind of separates us is we have a lot of different types of rushers and a lot of different body types and different types of ways that guys can get to the quarterback."
Houston’s offense was forced into a heavy passing load after Cincinnati shut down the run in the first half, even with the Texans missing key receivers because of injury. Stroud finished 30-of-55 for 353 yards, but he never reached the end zone, and the pass rush was part of why.
Golden said the Bengals’ own internal grading doesn’t always line up with outside analytics, but he also acknowledged that the game plan included plenty of ways to get after the quarterback. That fits with what he has wanted from this defense all along.
“Waves of rushers,” as Golden put it repeatedly this offseason.
Against Houston, that idea showed up everywhere. Cincinnati kept the Texans behind schedule, pushed them into fourth-and-longer and third-and-longer situations, and gave Golden the freedom to mix up what came next.
“I think the way this game turned out, we were able to stop the run, and getting fourth-and-longer and third-and-longer. I think we did a good job on get-back-on-track downs, keeping it third-and-longer," Golden said.
"And then we were able to just call a number of different things, which is pivotal because we want to stay a step ahead there. But there's no doubt at the end of the day, when you're creating pressure with four, mathematically, you have an opportunity to do multiple things on the back end, and we're starting to take advantage of that.”
In Other News...
Bengals Just Created A Depth Chart Battle Fans Should Watch
Following Cincinnatis Week 2 win, the back end of the roster offered one of the more interesting developments to come out of Sunday. Reserve defensive ends Cedric Johnson and Cashius Howell both made their presence felt with pressures and sacks, while on offense Erick All Jr. and rookie Colbie Young were on the field enough to suggest the Bengals are willing to keep expanding the group of players they trust in meaningful spots.
The bigger picture is a depth chart that may not be as settled as it looked a week ago, especially with the Bengals leaning into heavier personnel and more multiple tight end sets. Those looks naturally open the door for different combinations, and they also create a path for some reserves to push established starters for more snaps if the production keeps matching the opportunity. [Read more 🡒]
Boye Mafe Is Giving Bengals Fans A Real Reason To Believe
Boye Mafe has given the Bengals something they have been searching for on the edge: a steady, disruptive presence who can change the feel of a defense. Early in the season, the Cincinnati signing has already flashed the kind of impact that gets attention around the league, including eight quarterback pressures in a recent game against the Houston Texans, while his pass-rush and run-defense grades have landed him among the NFLs top edge defenders.
For a Bengals defense trying to build on a better start, Mafes production matters because it does not look like a one-game spike. His all-around work has started to resemble the kind of roster move that changes a units ceiling, the sort of addition Cincinnati once found with Trey Hendrickson. The comparison is an encouraging one for fans, even if the bigger question is how far Mafe can keep carrying that level of disruption as the season moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Enter Week 3 With The AFC North Suddenly In Flux
Week 2 did a number on the AFC North hierarchy, and the Bengals are walking into Week 3 with the division suddenly looking more unsettled than it did seven days ago. Cincinnati sits atop the standings after a weekend that saw Cleveland answer some of the early skepticism with a win over the Buccaneers, while Pittsburgh ran into trouble against the Patriots and Baltimore slipped out of first after a late loss.
For the Bengals, the bigger picture is simple: the margin in this division already feels thin, and the next round of games could shuffle it again. With the Browns trying to build on their bounce-back showing, the Steelers still searching for a steadier footing and the Ravens trying to recover from a damaging finish, Cincinnati has a chance to keep control if it handles the coming stretch. [Read more 🡒]