The Bengals are taking the bye week at 3-2, and the mood around the defense is a lot different than it was a month ago. Cincinnati’s 31-24 win over the Miami Dolphins gave them a chance to reset after a stretch built on timely stops and disruptive plays, and the unit once again delivered in the biggest moments.
The headline sequence came late, when Barrett Carter got to Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis for a fourth-quarter sack in the red zone. That play helped slam the door on Miami and fit the pattern Cincinnati has built this season: the defense keeps creating swings, whether it’s turnovers, pressure, or both.
Against the Dolphins, the Bengals forced two interceptions and also came away with a fumble recovery. It was another example of a group that has been making impact plays all year, especially after the rebuild on that side of the ball drew plenty of skepticism before the season.
A big part of that skepticism centered on the linebacker spot. Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr. both took their lumps as rookies last year, with blown coverages and missed tackles becoming a real issue. That led plenty of people to expect Cincinnati to look elsewhere in the offseason, with names like Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks and Bobby Wagner coming up as possible answers.
The Bengals didn’t make that move. Instead, they stayed with Carter and Knight as their starters, a decision that was heavily questioned at the time.
Even defensive coordinator Al Golden had to publicly back the duo during training camp, telling Yahoo Sports: "You guys know how I feel about them - love them. I stood on the table for them."
So far, Knight has made that bet look a lot smarter.
Of the two, Demetrius Knight Jr. has made the biggest leap. His tackle production has jumped from 6.2 per game last season to 8.4 per game this year, and he already has a touchdown after the scoop-and-score in Cincinnati’s Week 1 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He’s also been a force against the run. Per Joe Goodberry on X, Knight ranks seventh in the NFL in PFF run defense grade and has the 12th-best run stop rate among linebackers this season.
For a Bengals defense that has had issues slowing the run, Knight has not been the problem. He was too often a missed-tackle story last year; this season, he’s looked like a different player. At this point, he has a strong case to be Cincinnati’s most improved starter from last season.
In Other News...
Bengals Linebacker Move Puts Al Golden's Influence In Focus
The Bengals made a notable linebacker move this week, adding Jack Kiser after his brief run with Jacksonville and turning to a player who already has familiarity with defensive coordinator Al Golden from their Notre Dame days. Kiser arrives with some college credibility and a built-in connection to Cincinnatis staff, the kind of detail that can matter when a team is sorting through midseason depth and trying to find players who can absorb the system quickly.
His arrival also comes at a time when the Bengals needed reinforcement at the position, with Swayze Bozeman sidelined after the forearm injury he suffered in Week 5. Cincinnati is clearly looking for a workable answer at linebacker, and Kisers background gives this claim a little more intrigue than a typical waiver move, even if the real test now is how fast he can translate that familiarity into a role on Sundays. [Read more 🡒]
Zac Taylors Dexter Lawrence Remark Says Everything About His Bengals Impact
Zac Taylors praise for Dexter Lawrence II after the Week 5 win over Miami fit the way the Bengals have talked about the defensive tackle since bringing him into the building. Lawrence has given Cincinnati the kind of interior presence that changes how an offense has to play, and his early production has backed up the hype with 14 tackles and three sacks so far this season.
The move to acquire him from the Giants was already viewed around the league as a sharp offseason pickup, and the Bengals made it clear they wanted more than a short-term boost by working out a one-year extension. For a defense that needed more disruptive power up front, Lawrence has quickly become one of the most important additions on the roster, even if there is still a bigger long-term cost attached to the trade that Cincinnati will have to live with. [Read more 🡒]
Amarius Mims Has One Strange Problem Bengals Can't Ignore
Amarius Mims has given the Bengals exactly what they want on the field this fall, holding up well against some of the leagues top defenders at right tackle and helping Cincinnati get to a 3-2 start. Off the field, though, the rookie has run into a problem that has become hard to ignore: his cleats keep failing him in the middle of games, turning a promising early season into something of an equipment headache.
The issue has already surfaced more than once, and Mims has gone public in asking shoe manufacturers for a better answer. It is the kind of oddly specific snag that can still matter for a team trying to build momentum, especially with roster churn around him after the Bengals added Jack Kiser and put Swayze Bozeman on injured reserve. For now, the blocking is strong, but the footwear situation remains a loose end Cincinnati would rather not keep revisiting. [Read more 🡒]