The Bengals are looking for any real sign of life on defense this season, and Zac Taylor seems to think the new front is already giving it to them.
Taylor had one word for the defensive line at a press conference this week: “intelligent.” That was his quick summary of a group that has been making life miserable for Cincinnati’s offense in training camp, while also helping explain why linebackers Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter have looked better in Year 2.
The line has been getting after it from the jump, and the reasons are pretty clear. The Bengals have leaned into a more under-center offense, there have been playbook tweaks, and newcomers like Dexter Lawrence, Boye Mafe and Jonathan Allen have brought a different level of disruption in the trenches.
That word choice stood out because it speaks to more than just talent. NFL linemen have to diagnose quickly, fit their gaps, use their hands well and stay low enough to survive the snap-to-snap chaos. If they’re slow on any of it, they’re out of the play fast.
Taylor’s comment also lined up with what he said about Knight and Carter. The implication was pretty simple: a smarter, sturdier defensive line makes life easier for the second level behind it.
There’s a reason that matters in Cincinnati. The defense was dead last against the run last season and finished 26th against the pass, even with a parade of bad opposing quarterbacks late in the year.
And that was all part of a stretch where the Bengals defense has been, to put it mildly, a problem. Taylor has still managed to keep the offense moving at times, including with Jake Browning in 2023 and with Joe Flacco last season, but the defense kept dragging the whole operation down.
This year’s group looks different on paper, and it’s not just the veterans up front. Rookie second-round defensive end Cashius Howell is in the mix, while former first-round picks Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart are on the edge as well.
If Stewart and defensive tackle B.J. Hill can get back from their injuries, the Bengals could finally have a front that changes the whole tone of the defense. For a team that has spent too long living with the opposite, that would be a major shift.
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One of the clearest signs of that edge is the addition of defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, who is already making life difficult for the offensive line in camp. For a team trying to sharpen every detail before the games count, having that kind of challenge on the practice field should help reveal where the Bengals are strong and where they still need work. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Munoz Still Sets The Standard For Bengals Greatness
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Munozs rsum is the kind that explains why his standing never really fades, from nine All-Pro selections and 11 Pro Bowl appearances to his spot on the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998 and remains a Bengals Ring of Honor member, and every new all-time list seems to end up circling back to the same conclusion: if the conversation is about greatness in Cincinnati, Munoz is still the benchmark everyone else is measured against. [Read more 🡒]