The Bengals left Madrid looking every bit like a team that can punch with anybody in the AFC.
Joe Burrow was sharp, Ja’Marr Chase was unstoppable early, and Tee Higgins kept cashing in when Cincinnati needed him. In a 38-24 win over the Falcons, Burrow threw for 271 yards and three touchdowns, Chase piled up 142 yards and a score in the first half, and Higgins finished with five catches for 32 yards and two touchdowns.
That kind of firepower is why Cincinnati feels dangerous right now. At 6-2, the Bengals not only sit atop the AFC North, they also have a soft path ahead. They face only two teams with a winning record the rest of the way, and both of those games - against Pittsburgh and Kansas City - are at home.
If Burrow is healthy and has Chase and Higgins available when January arrives, that’s a scary combination. The Bengals may not be the most complete team in the AFC - that label belongs to the Jaguars - but they are the most explosive.
The Bills have Josh Allen and James Cook, but not nearly the same kind of perimeter punch. The Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes and Kenneth Walker III, but their receivers have been close to a non-factor or worse.
The Steelers have DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr., but Aaron Rodgers has been limited, as shown by his 6.5 yards per attempt.
That’s what makes Cincinnati’s current position so intriguing with the trade deadline looming Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.
The Bengals already spent heavily this offseason, with Duke Tobin bringing in Jonathan Allen, Boye Mafe and Bryan Cook while also sending a first-round pick to the Giants for Dexter Lawrence II, yet the defense is still giving ground. After watching Cincinnati and Atlanta trade scores with little resistance on either side, both teams could be thinking about help on defense.
The Falcons, meanwhile, are suddenly back in a rough spot after a promising stretch. Two weeks ago, they beat the previously unbeaten 49ers and moved to 3-4, which had them thinking about the NFC South and maybe even a home playoff game. Since then, it has gone sideways fast.
Atlanta followed that win with a 16-0 loss in Tampa Bay last weekend, a game that looked bad on the surface and got worse the more you dug into it. Michael Penix Jr. threw four interceptions, and Baker Mayfield didn’t complete a pass, making the Falcons the first team to lose without allowing a completion since 1974.
Then came Sunday morning in Spain, where Cincinnati scored on every first-half possession and the Falcons’ secondary had no answer for Chase and Higgins. A.J.
Terrell Jr. and the rest of that back end gave up 187 yards and three touchdowns to the duo.
Now at 3-5, Atlanta heads home to regroup before facing Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. That’s not exactly the kind of bounce-back spot a team wants when the season is already wobbling.
Elsewhere in the league, the Ravens got hit with a major setback before the day’s games even really got rolling. Lamar Jackson is expected to miss the next six to nine weeks after surgery on his broken right thumb. The timeline leaves the door open for a late-season return, but it does little to help Baltimore’s playoff chances right now.
Even after trading for Jacoby Brissett from the Cardinals this week, the Ravens are in a tough place. They’re 4-5, they’re in a division where nobody else has a losing record, and the AFC picture is crowded. According to the New York Times, seven teams in the conference have at least a 78% chance to make the postseason, while Baltimore sits at 5%.
The schedule ahead doesn’t offer much relief. The Ravens will face the Chargers, Panthers and Texans before a Week 13 bye, then host the Buccaneers and visit the Steelers.
If Jackson returns at the earliest possible point, he could be back for the Browns, Bengals and Pittsburgh to finish the season. But that only matters if Baltimore can stay afloat without him, and that means Brissett - who was benched last weekend by Arizona - likely needs to go at least 3-2 over the next five games.
If that doesn’t happen, the Ravens could be staring at another lost season and an offseason full of hard questions about whether to extend or trade Jackson with one year left on his deal.
The rest of Sunday’s slate carries its own weight. The Broncos, at 6-2 and coming off a thrilling win over the Chiefs, visit the Panthers in a matchup between teams with postseason hopes.
The Packers and Patriots meet in Foxborough with both trying to strengthen their playoff position while keeping divisional hopes alive. And the Chargers, still searching for their first win at 0-7, host the Texans coming off their bye.
In Other News...
Bengals Suddenly Face A Trade Deadline Question About Fixing The Offense
The Bengals offense has become a trade-deadline talking point, and the latest buzz is less about a bargain fix than a splashy one. An analysts deadline predictions have put a premium name into the conversation, with the idea carrying enough intrigue to make sense on paper even if it would take some financial maneuvering to pull off.
Any move of that size would force Cincinnati to weigh cap implications against how it wants to build its offense for the stretch run. The notion has drawn extra attention because the same analyst was right on a previous trade call, but for now it remains exactly what it sounds like: a speculative answer to a very real question about how the Bengals might try to sharpen their attack. [Read more 🡒]
Ja'Marr Chase Addresses Bengals Tension Fans Couldn't Ignore
Ja'Marr Chase spent part of a recent game looking every bit the star receiver who expects more from the offense, and he did not try to hide that his frustration showed. After the moment drew attention, he addressed it directly and said he had already spoken with head coach Zac Taylor, while stressing that he wants the best for everyone around him and does not see the episode as a sign of deeper trouble.
For the Bengals, that matters because Chase still delivered a strong performance against Tennessee even while the sideline body language suggested a player bristling in the heat of the moment. The production was there, the emotion was obvious, and now the focus shifts to whether the conversation inside the building keeps the same edge from spilling over again. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Linked To Veteran Move Their Defense May Still Need
With the NFL trade deadline set for Nov. 10, the Bengals are being sized up as a team that could still use help in the secondary if they want to keep pace in a crowded race. One speculative scenario has Cincinnati looking to add a veteran cornerback on an expiring contract, the kind of move that would fit a club trying to improve without paying a heavy price.
The appeal is obvious: the defender in question has a track record of creating turnovers and would give the Bengals another experienced option on the back end. For a team that still has room to sharpen its defense, the idea is less about a splash and more about finding a short-term upgrade that could matter in November and beyond. [Read more 🡒]