The Bengals finally look like they’ve solved a problem that has been hanging over this team since the Super Bowl run in 2021-22, and the early returns are hard to ignore.
Cincinnati’s biggest headache in the Joe Burrow era has so often been the same one: too much heat, not enough time, and an offense forced to work around protection issues. But seven weeks into the 2026 season, the picture looks different. The Bengals are fifth in the NFL in sacks allowed and sit first in defensive sacks, a sharp turn from what they’ve dealt with in recent years.
Burrow has been operating behind a far sturdier front this season, and the numbers show it. Through his first six games, he has completed 71.7 percent of his passes for 1,653 yards and 15 touchdowns, with just three interceptions. He also turned in one of his best performances of the year in the latest win over the Baltimore Ravens, piling up 292 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-13 rout.
The protection has been there in a way it hasn’t been for long stretches of Burrow’s career. He’s been sacked only 10 times so far, with five of those coming in one game against the Houston Texans in Week 2. In every other game, he has been taken down no more than twice.
That’s a major shift for a Cincinnati offense that last season ranked 14th in sacks allowed and 23rd in defensive sacks. The inconsistency on both fronts has defined a lot of the Burrow era, but the early 2026 numbers suggest the Bengals are moving in a different direction.
Here’s how those numbers stack up in the Joe Burrow era:
Bengals sacks allowed & defensive sacks in the Joe Burrow Era 2020: 28th | 32nd 2021: 30th | 12th 2022: 22nd | 29th 2023: 25th | 18th 2024: 22nd | 26th 2025: 14th | 23rd 2026: 5th | 1st The Trenches have been rebuilt.
The Bengals are 4-2 and have won two straight, including that convincing divisional win over Baltimore in Week 7. Better protection for Burrow, along with a pass rush that has made life miserable for opposing quarterbacks, has given Cincinnati a stronger base on both sides of the ball.
Next up is a home date with the Tennessee Titans, who enter Week 8 at 1-6. The Bengals still have more to prove, especially as the competition stiffens, but this start has given them something they’ve lacked too often in recent seasons: stability. If the line keeps holding, Cincinnati has a real chance to stay in the mix with the league’s best.
In Other News...
Bengals Fans May Need To Rethink The Jonathan Taylor Dream
The Colts latest roster reset has only added fuel to a familiar Bengals fan dream, with Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner already moved for mid-round draft picks and Jonathan Taylor suddenly sitting in the middle of the conversation. From Cincinnatis side, the appeal is obvious. A proven running back would be an easy fit for a team always trying to maximize its offensive options, and any opening in Indianapolis tends to get dissected quickly around the league.
But the price tag is where the idea starts to wobble. With the Bengals still mindful of their salary cap and the rest of the roster to consider, paying premium draft capital for a back is a tougher sell than it might look from the outside. Cincinnati has not been framed as the front-line destination here, which leaves the door open to other Colts names or a different running back path entirely if the market for Taylor keeps climbing. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Suddenly Face A Familiar Pressure Spot Against The Titans
A trip into Week 8 brings Cincinnati to a spot it has rarely occupied under Zac Taylor: a heavy favorite with the expectation not just to win, but to win comfortably. The Bengals are laying 10.5 points against Tennessee, a number that reflects the gap between the rosters and the pressure that comes with being asked to dominate from start to finish. For a team trying to stack wins in a season that still has room to define itself, the spread is its own kind of measuring stick.
The tricky part is that this kind of setup has not always been kind to Cincinnati. The Bengals have had a hard time cashing in as double-digit favorites over the years, and their recent history in those spots has not exactly inspired confidence even when the matchup looks favorable on paper. Taylor and Joe Burrow have generally handled the role of favorite well against the spread, but this one carries the kind of familiar pressure that can make a supposed mismatch feel a little less simple once the game starts. [Read more 🡒]
Former Bengal Is Outplaying Cincinnati's Defensive Centerpiece Right Now
The Bengals made a major move by trading their 10th overall pick for Dexter Lawrence, banking on his presence to help stabilize the middle of the defense. It was the kind of transaction aimed at raising the ceiling of a unit that needs difference-makers up front, and Lawrences impact has been part of the conversation ever since.
But there is an awkward twist in the early returns: D.J. Reader, the former Bengal now elsewhere, is sitting ahead of Lawrence among interior defenders in PFFs Week 8 rankings. And another familiar face, Trey Hendrickson, was back in the picture recently when he faced Cincinnati with Baltimore and raised some eyebrows with comments that hinted at a focus problem in the Ravens own locker room, a reminder that ex-Bengals keep popping up in the middle of the AFC Norths bigger defensive storylines. [Read more 🡒]