The AFC North flipped fast in Week 2, and Cincinnati is the team sitting on top when the dust settled. The Bengals own the division lead, the best point differential in the group, and a spot near the top of the AFC and the league overall after two weeks. That is a pretty sharp turn for a team that had to fight through penalties, pressure, and a battered pocket to get there.
Cincinnati’s 20-6 win over Houston was built on defense for the second straight week. The Texans had just scored 31 points against Buffalo the week before, but they were held to six on Sunday.
Joe Burrow took a beating - Houston logged five sacks and 10 QB hits on him - and the Bengals were whistled for 12 penalties and 78 yards. Even so, they kept their footing and made enough plays to stay in control.
The offense was good enough, and that mattered. Chase Brown ran for 80 yards and averaged 4.0 yards per carry.
Tee Higgins finished with five catches for 95 yards. Ja’Marr Chase added seven receptions for 75 yards and two touchdowns.
Cincinnati could have piled up even more if not for the flags and the heat Burrow absorbed all afternoon.
The Bengals now turn to Pittsburgh next week, where they will try to protect that first-place spot in the division.
Baltimore, meanwhile, dropped from the top spot after letting a fourth-quarter lead slip away in a loss to New Orleans. The Ravens had been in control for much of the game, with Derrick Henry carrying 11 times for 55 yards in the first half. He only got five more touches after halftime, and Baltimore’s 17-9 lead entering the fourth quarter vanished quickly.
The Saints tied it at 17, then got the ball back late with Tyler Shough in position to finish the job. Bengals fans also had reason to pay attention to the late calls, including a Trey Hendrickson roughing-the-passer penalty on New Orleans’ final drive and a Tyler Shough touchdown on a QB sneak that stood after review.
Baltimore still sits second in the division, with the second-best point differential at plus-11 and a 1-0 conference record. Next up is a “home game” against the Dallas Cowboys in Rio de Janeiro, with reports already surfacing about poor field conditions.
Pittsburgh is last in the rankings after a rough 20-3 loss to New England. The Steelers’ offense never got going, even though the defense forced two turnovers.
Aaron Rodgers finished 23 of 39 for 187 yards with one interception, and Pittsburgh averaged just 4.8 yards per pass attempt. The Patriots, in fact, ran the ball more efficiently at 4.9 yards per carry.
The Steelers’ defense did its part to keep things from getting uglier, limiting New England to 13 points after a turnover and short fields off special teams. TJ Watt led the way with 1.5 sacks, while Alex Highsmith added a sack and three QB hits. Still, the result left Pittsburgh searching for answers as it heads into a huge divisional matchup with Cincinnati on Sunday.
Cleveland moved up after beating Tampa Bay and giving Todd Monken his first win as Browns head coach. Monken had already fired back at Mike Tomlin’s “The Browns is the Browns” line with, “The Browns are going to Browns, (expletive) that.
Okay. The guys took that to heart.”
The Browns backed it up. Before kickoff, ESPN’s Ian Rapoport reported Cleveland would reevaluate its quarterback situation before Week 3, and Deshaun Watson responded with one of his better outings. He completed 24 of 30 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns, outplaying Baker Mayfield in the process.
Cleveland’s defense looked like the unit people have come to expect, holding Tampa Bay to nine points in the first half and 19 for the game. The Browns also got after the quarterback with three sacks, five QB hits, and seven tackles for loss.
Whether Watson keeps the job remains to be seen, but after that performance and the win, the Browns have bought themselves time. Cleveland’s home opener comes Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.
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 🡒]
Jonathan Allen Is Giving Bengals Fans Another Reason To Believe
Jonathan Allen has quickly given Bengals fans a fresh sense of optimism along the defensive front. Since arriving in Cincinnati, he has settled in as more than just another body on the line, becoming a steady presence who has carried value both in the locker room and on Sundays. His impact showed up in a pregame speech before the matchup with the Houston Texans, then carried over into the kind of on-field production the Bengals have been looking for from their interior rush.
Allens early work has matched the reputation that came with him. He has already logged a sack and multiple tackles for loss, and the early pass-rush numbers point to a player who is helping elevate the line around him. For a Bengals defense that needed more disruption up front, Allen has given the group a more credible edge, and maybe even a little more belief as the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]