Bengals Defensive Domination
Dominant Cincinnati Bengals Defense Powers Team to a 2-0 Season Start
Anonymous
The Cincinnati Bengals have opened the 2026 season 2-0, with a much-improved defense helping drive a 20-6 road win over Houston after a season-opening victory over Tampa Bay. Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and newcomer Jonathan Allen have strengthened the middle, helping Cincinnati rank near the top of the league in stopping runs for no gain or a loss; against Houston, the defense also limited the Texans to 60 rushing yards and generated pressure on nearly 44% of their dropbacks. Analysts have praised Lawrence’s impact against both the run and pass, while Greg Cosell highlighted the Bengals’ four-man rush, coverage structure and ability to create favorable matchups for their edge rushers. Cincinnati’s win over Houston also showed it can prevail without a prolific passing performance, while Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase remain capable of producing explosive plays.
Key Points
1
Cincinnati held Houston without a touchdown and to 5-of-17 on third down. In the season opener against Tampa Bay, the Bengals forced four turnovers.
2
Cincinnati ranked second in the league in run-play stuff rate at 32.3% after finishing last in that category the previous season.
3
Jonathan Allen made a major impact against Houston, recording a sack and three tackles for loss.
4
Analyst Daniel Jeremiah described Lawrence’s performance against Houston as “utter dominance,” noting that he held up against double-teams, beat cutoff blocks and added pressure with both power and technique.
5
Analyst Marcus Spears called Cincinnati the most dangerous 2-0 AFC contender and acknowledged he had been wrong to suggest Houston’s defense would make the Texans a particularly difficult matchup.
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