The Cincinnati Bengals have had one of the best offenses in the NFL over the past several seasons.
Joe Burrow has been among the highest-performing quarterbacks in the league since he was drafted, and the front office has made a lot of decisions to help benefit him and make this offense even better.
Their defense has taken a hit due to some of these decisions and financial investments, and many believed this unit would ultimately hold the Bengals back from winning the Super Bowl.
Burrow might be out for the next three months, which will certainly signal a changing of the guard in their offense, but Bengals fans can be comforted by the state of their defense, which is performing significantly better than in past seasons.
According to ESPN Insights on X, the Bengals’ defense is allowing the second-best QBR to opposing quarterbacks, has achieved four interceptions, which is tied for second-best in the league, and they have the lowest blitz rate in the league, blitzing just 4% of the time.
The Bengals are 2-0 despite averaging 245.5 YPG (3rd fewest) ?
Bengals Defense Through Week 2:
? 38 Total QBR allowed (2nd best)
? 4 Int (T-2nd most)
? 4% blitz rate (Lowest) pic.twitter.com/maz5gRyWfX— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) September 16, 2025
This is a great sign for this team moving forward, as they’ve made significant strides in a unit that has historically weighed them down.
Only time will tell what’s next for this team, and how they’ll navigate the storm without Burrow, but these numbers are encouraging, if nothing else.
The 2-0 Bengals have a tough schedule over the next five weeks, facing the Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, and Pittsburgh Steelers.
If they can slow these teams down and come away from this five-game stretch with a winning record, it’ll say a lot about the future outlook of this team in 2025.
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