The Cincinnati Bengals have found something real up front, and it’s hard not to notice how quickly it’s changed the feel of their defense.
The offseason overhaul brought in Boye Mafe, Jonathan Allen, and Dexter Lawrence, and all three have already paid off in a big way. Lawrence cost the Bengals the 10th overall pick in a blockbuster trade, Allen arrived after being released one year into a three-year contract in Minnesota, and Mafe came in on a three-year, $60 million deal after working as a rotational piece for the Seattle Seahawks.
None of those moves looked safe. All three look justified now.
That trio has turned the pass rush into a force. Lawrence and Allen are soaking up double teams, and that’s creating cleaner paths for Mafe, who has matched both veterans with three sacks apiece.
At this point, having all three on pace for double-digit sacks feels almost absurd. Lawrence, in particular, could have even more if not for some missed holding calls.
The numbers back up the eye test. FOX19’s Joe Danneman pointed out that after three sacks on Sunday, Cincinnati is up to 17 sacks on the season, nearly halfway to last year’s total of 35. The Bengals are currently on pace for 58 sacks, a total that would have ranked second in the NFL in 2025.
What makes it even more dangerous is how fast the pressure is arriving. According to @SumerSports, Cincinnati’s pressure rate and average time to pressure by week have climbed and settled into a disruptive rhythm:
Wk 5: 48.3%/3.00
Wk 4: 40.7%/2.48
Wk 3: 34.3%/2.62
Wk 2: 46.6%/2.49
Wk 1: 28.1%/2.63
When Lawrence, Allen and Mafe are getting after quarterbacks that quickly, even polished passers have little room to breathe.
There’s still room for more. Cashius Howell has flashed, but he’s been mostly quiet the last couple of games, and the Bengals could use another edge threat to complement Mafe. The point remains, though: this is a defense with a much more serious punch than it had a year ago.
That part matters because the expectations attached to these signings were not exactly modest. Allen was viewed by some as a declining player.
Lawrence came with massive trade-deadline style expectations after the shock deal. Mafe was asked to do far more than he had before.
So far, it’s been a clean sweep for Cincinnati.
The next test looms in Week 7 at Baltimore against Lamar Jackson, assuming his ankle is healed enough for him to play. If the Bengals can bring this kind of heat against Jackson, it could change the way that matchup looks. Jackson has long made life miserable for Cincinnati’s secondary, and a pass rush this active would give the whole defense a different shape.
After Baltimore, the schedule gives the Bengals more chances to keep piling up pressure, and if Joe Burrow keeps producing on the other side of the ball, Lawrence, Allen and Mafe should get even more opportunities to attack. The bye week may have arrived with some frustration, but the Bengals have found a reason to feel better about where this defense is headed.
In Other News...
Justin Herbert Questions Grow After Chargers Make Sudden QB Move
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For all the noise around Herbert, the teams stance has been much less dramatic than the speculation suggests. Los Angeles has not discussed trading him, and the idea was never considered internally, even as the performance questions keep piling up. Brownings arrival adds another layer to the conversation, but it does not appear to have changed the Chargers basic view of Herbert, at least for now. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Finally Have Reason To Feel Better About Burrow Up Front
The bye week has given Cincinnati a little extra time to appreciate one of the quieter reasons the season has stabilized: Joe Burrow has been getting better protection up front. Coming off a 31-24 win over the Miami Dolphins, the Bengals can point to an offensive line that has held up well enough to keep the passing game humming and let Burrow work effectively in the red zone, where he threw four touchdown passes in the victory.
For a team that has spent plenty of recent seasons worrying about life in the pocket, that matters. The bigger picture is still mixed, with the defense continuing to raise concerns, but the front five has at least given Cincinnati a sturdier foundation than it has had at times in the past. In a season where margin for error remains slim, the Bengals have reason to feel better about how Burrow is being protected, even if the larger questions around the roster are still waiting on answers. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Bye Week Just Put One Defensive Need Front And Center
The win over Miami offered a reminder of why Cincinnati can still feel dangerous when Joe Burrow is rolling and Jordan Battle is making plays, but it also left the secondary conversation hanging in plain sight. Even in a game the Bengals controlled, the defense gave up too much on the ground, and the back end still looks like the spot that could use the most attention as the season settles into its next phase.
With the Week 6 bye in front of them, the Bengals have a rare chance to address that issue before the schedule stiffens again. The ideal move would be one that adds both experience and size to the defensive backfield, and Tampa Bay has a corner who checks those boxes while having started every game so far this season. For a team trying to keep pace in a crowded AFC race, this is the sort of window front offices are built to use. [Read more 🡒]