After two weeks of play, the Cincinnati Bengals sit atop the appropriately named “black and blue” division. The AFC North, known for it’s tough brand of football has taken it’s lumps already this season with the Ravens, Steelers, and Browns all sitting at 1-1 after a couple of weeks of action. The Bengals, however, have taken control of the division with their own hard nosed approach, shedding narratives of being soft.
Joe Burrow
The Bengals all world quarterback showed his AFC North worth as he stepped in to face the Texans daunted defense despite missing practice time last week due to back tightness. Burrow took 5 sacks but gutted out an impressive victory by featuring his top end of receivers.
Tee Higgins caught 5/10 targets for 95 yards and his counterpart, all world receiver, Ja’Marr Chase caught 7 of 9 for 75 yards and 2 touchdowns, one of which you have probably already seen, but can’t stop watching.
Jamar Chase! 😱😱😱 what a catch! pic.twitter.com/rGjW5oMlc0
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) September 20, 2026
Burrow finished the game 20/31 for 207 yards, 2 TDs, and zero turnovers. The Bengals offensive line has taken heavy criticism since Burrow entered the league, and rightfully so. The unit has not been one of the NFL’s strongest, but some of that blame lands on the quarterback. The passer must protect himself, and his offensive line by playing on time, avoiding danger and getting the ball out of harms way when things break down.
It wasn’t perfect this past week, but the Texans’ defense deserves credit; They are one of the leagues best and employ the NFL’s top edge rushing duo in Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter, who combined for 27.0 sacks last season. Although sacked 5 times, Burrow handled the defense well and featured his receivers which put the Bengals in position to win.
Offensive Line
The Bengals offensive line has taken a lot of hits over the last several years and naturally, so has their QB. According to Pro Football Focus, they have not finished higher than 26th in pass or run blocking rating in the last two seasons.
Although the front has faced two strong defensive lines this season, they are already showing improvement. Their pass block rating is at 58.6, which isn’t great, but it’s on the rise – they won’t face the best defensive line in football every week. The run rate is showing glowing improvement, all the way to 15th best in the league.
Right tackle, Amarius Mims, has been the best of the group, allowing 1 pressure and zero sacks through 121 snaps this season, for an efficiency rating of 99.3. Mims was my Breakout Player of the Year for the Bengals as he had improved his game in each of his first two seasons in the NFL.
A formidable offensive line to protect a top 5 QB and an excellent collection of skill position players is a recipe for success. The NFL is about points and with a top offensive unit like the Bengals have, they can score them in bunches. New to this era of Bengals football is the defense, one that is built for the black and blue division.
Defense
The blockbuster move to add Dexter Lawrence to Cincinnati’s defense caught criticism and praise.
Trading the 10th overall pick for a player is a rare move, especially a defensive tackle. With the Bengals aforementioned powerhouse offense, they don’t need a lock down, shutout defense. They just need to be kept in games.
Dexter Lawrence and the re-energized defense have done the Bengals better than that. In the young season, the Cincinnati defense has allowed no passing touchdowns, lead the NFL in sacks and are allowing only 16.5 points per game.
Defense in the NFL takes an entire unit, but they have no doubt been solidified by the addition of Dexter Lawrence.
The Bengals have had the QB and skill position players to not only compete in the AFC North, but the entire league. Now with an improved offensive line and tough, attacking defense, they have the tools to take the north for the first time since 2022 and compete for a Super Bowl by beating everyone black and blue.
