The Bengals are still perfect through two weeks, and Pro Football Focus still didn’t give them much love.
In PFF’s latest Week 3 power rankings, Cincinnati landed at No. 15, a spot that looks especially odd after the Bengals went on the road and beat the Texans 20-6. The site says its rankings are “derived from the quality of each team as defined by Point Spread Team Ratings,” but that formula didn’t do Cincinnati many favors.
That ranking puts the Bengals behind Houston, along with 1-1 teams like the Bears and Packers. For a team sitting at 2-0, it’s a clear snub - and more fuel for a locker room that isn’t interested in patting itself on the back anyway.
The Bengals are focused on carrying that start into their first division game of the season Sunday in Pittsburgh.
“I thought the third quarter, their defense did a great job, and special teams gave us really good field position to where we're able to go put 13 points on the board on first three drives, and so I was proud of that fact, and then the game turned into a run the clock game towards the end, and our guys handled that well,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said on Wednesday.
Cincinnati’s defense was the story of the day, too. The unit gave up the fewest points of the Taylor era and shut out an opponent from scoring a touchdown for the first time in a game since the 2022 season.
“I think they have a mindset of what they want to be and what their brand is, and I'm going to let it play out,” Golden said to Jay Morrison and more this week. “I think they play like they love each other.
I think they play with energy and enthusiasm. I think they're very much a next-play mentality unit.
And what I mean by that is they get a big play to get in the fringe or in the red, and we just go and play the next play.
“So I think there's unit cohesion there in terms of their pre-snap communication and the awareness of formations and backfield sets and things that we have practiced. Again, we're so early in the season in terms of me identifying what I see, but I think those are some things that I think would describe what we're doing right now.”
Even with PFF’s low placement, most other rankings have Cincinnati sitting much closer to the top - generally around the top seven, and certainly inside the top 10. The Bengals, though, already have bigger things on their mind than where outsiders place them.
In Other News...
Bengals Suddenly Have A Veteran QB Question Fans Can't Ignore
The quarterback ripple effect from Jaxson Darts left knee injury has reached well beyond New York, and it has put an old familiar name back into the conversation. With Darts status now looking far less certain after further testing, the Giants have turned to Jameis Winston for the moment while also weighing longer-term answers, a situation that inevitably brings veteran depth and stability into focus around the league.
For Bengals fans, the detail worth watching is Joe Flaccos place in that discussion. His name has surfaced as a possible option because of his experience and his connection with head coach John Harbaugh, but there has been no official indication of a pursuit yet. Still, whenever a proven veteran quarterback enters the market, it tends to create a few moments of pause for teams and fans alike, especially when the leagues quarterback picture starts shifting this quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Burrows Week 3 Status Just Became The Bengals Biggest Concern
Joe Burrow was back on the practice field Thursday as a full participant, giving the Bengals at least a measure of relief after a week in which their quarterback was limited by a back injury. Zac Taylor said Burrow was sore, but he did not appear to be in pain during the session, a notable development after Burrow took several hits in the Week 2 loss to the Houston Texans.
Still, Cincinnati is hardly out of the woods heading into the Week 3 game against the Steelers. Burrows availability has quickly become the teams biggest concern, because even when he is practicing, the Bengals have to monitor how his back responds and whether he can hold up through Sundays physical matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Suddenly Have A New Health Worry Before AFC North Test
The Bengals already had enough to manage heading into an AFC North test, and now they are also down another piece of receiver depth after Andrei Iosivas was placed on injured reserve. Iosivas tore a ligament in his thumb during the game against the Texans and had surgery, a setback that will keep him out for at least four games and forces Cincinnati to adjust again on offense.
Zac Taylor tried to steady the picture by offering a broader health update, including on Joe Burrow, who is sore but is still expected to play. Even so, the timing is hardly ideal for a team trying to navigate a division matchup with its margin for error shrinking and its injury list growing at the wrong moment. [Read more 🡒]