The Cincinnati Bengals came into the 2026 season with very high expectations. The Bengals have not made the playoffs since all the way back in 2022, and they went all-in this offseason to fix that and give Joe Burrow and company another shot at a Super Bowl run.
Coming into the season, Burrow publicly put the pressure on. He claimed that Cincinnati has everything it needs to be a championship team and that it was “now or never” for the Bengals to push for a championship.
Cincinnati revamped its defense, which was one of the worst in the entire NFL last season. It added defensive tackle Jonathan Allen in the middle, then traded the No. 10 overall pick in the NFL Draft to the New York Giants for Dexter Lawrence to pair with him in the middle. The Bengals also added Bryan Cook from the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency to continue to addresses their hole in the spine of their defense.
So far, the Bengals are just 3-2, but they have shown encouraging signs in the areas that they made an effort to improve in. But things aren't getting any easier in Week 7, as Zac Taylor and company are facing arguably their biggest test yet against Derrick Henry and the Baltimore Ravens offense.
Let's get into Cincy's growth so far in 2026, and how Henry and the Ravens will make things difficult on them in this AFC North battle.
The Bengals have improved on defense
This Cincinnati defense is still a far cry from an elite unit, but it is much improved from the historically bad group that plagued them throughout last season. The Bengals are currently posting a -0.03 EPA per rush allowed, the ninth-worst mark in the NFL. However, their 23% stuff rate is the best number in the NFL per Next Gen Stats, so it is a bit of a boom-or-bust run defense at this point.
A big part of that is the play of Lawrence and Allen, both of whom have come up with a ton of impactful plays this season. The two defensive tackles have combined for nine tackles for loss and 25 stops, defined as a play that results in positive EPA for the defense.
In fact, despite the additions on the defensive line, the pass defense is where the Bengals have been more effective. Cincinnati is allowing -0.11 EPA per pass allowed, which just sneaks into the NFL's top 10 this season. Their 17 sacks is a top-five mark, and their 40.4% pressure rate is also a top-10 number, per Next Gen Stats.
Compare that to where the Bengals were a season ago. Last season, the Bengals gave up +0.09 EPA per pass and +0.05 EPA per rush. Their stuff rate, a dismal 10.2%, was less than half of what it is this year. Their sack rate was just over 5%, and Cincy finished the entire season with just 35 sacks. Their overall pressure rate was 33.1%, far lower than this year's up to this point.
So it's clear that the Bengals have improved on the defensive side of the ball. Is this an elite unit by any means? No, not right now at least. But it is enough, if the offense can settle into a groove, to get the Bengals back into the playoff discussion and give Joe Burrow and company a fighting chance in January.
The offense is still finding its identity a little bit, but it's reasonable to assume they will have figured some things out during the bye week. If the defense did the same, this Cincy team could be very dangerous.
Ravens running game will test the Bengals on Sunday
While the Bengals have improved statistically against the run, they haven't played a whole lot of great rushing offenses so far. The Buccaneers, Dolphins and Texans all struggle to make many inroads on the ground, so that will help the numbers.
The Ravens have no such trouble. Derrick Henry might not be at the very peak of his powers anymore, but he is still one of the best running backs in the NFL and can churn out yards for four quarters. Henry currently ranks fourth in the NFL in rushing yards with 534 in 2026. While it hasn't been all that efficient on a per-carry basis, as the Ravens have dealt with a ton of injuries on the interior of the offensive line and to Lamar Jackson, he is still the type of grind-you-down back that the Bengals have struggled with over the years.
The injury to Jackson is something to watch. He has missed the last two games with an ankle injury and was limited at practice on Wednesday, so his status for what is a huge game on Sunday still remains to be seen. Jackson adds another element to the Ravens running game and looked like his former explosive self before suffering the injury, but he may not be at 100% even if he plays.
The passing game is where Jackson really makes his impact, and the Bengals may be able to pick on backup Tyler Huntley if he is the starter on Sunday. Jackson's +0.29 EPA per dropback ranks third in the NFL this season, while Huntley's mark of -0.05 is equal to Jacoby Brissett.
With the Bengals' aforementioned stout pass defense, it will be very tough for the Ravens to move the ball through the air if Huntley ends up getting the start in this game. Henry and company can still beat up the Cincinnati defense on the ground, but this is also a game where the Bengals can make a loud statement to the rest of the AFC that this isn't the same old Bengals.