The same refrain has been heard a lot since Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow started lighting up NFL opponents: The Bengals are 2-0 after beating the Houston Texans on the road Sunday, but that game wasn't about the flashy passing game, although Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase made some special plays, but rather about a revamped defense. They limited the Texans offense all day in the 20-6 victory, doing so with a dominant defensive front that had four sacks and spent the day in the Texans backfield. It was just the third time that the Bengals have kept a team without a touchdown since coach Zac Taylor took over.
That front also had a key fourth-down stop when defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence stopped running back David Montgomery on a fourth-and-1 at the Cincinnati 18 in the second quarter. The Bengals traded a first-round pick for Lawrence this year, and so far, that move is paying off in a big way. They also added defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and pass rusher Boye Mafe to help that front.
Young players like Shemar Stewart, Cedric Johnson — two sacks Sunday — and rookie Cashius Howell give them some real edge pop to go with those veterans. If the Bengals can be a top-15 defense, they have a real chance to be a Super Bowl contender. This defense is giving up 16.5 points per game, which ranks tied for eighth right now, and they are tied for first in sacks with eight.
The Bengals are up to fourth in my Power Rankings this week as they prepare for a division game at Pittsburgh against the Steelers. The Bengals are the only team in the AFC North that is still undefeated. The Seattle Seahawks stay in the top spot after beating Arizona, with backup quarterback Drew Lock playing well.
But the Buffalo Bills are right behind them with Josh Allen off to an MVP start. The biggest shock after two weeks is where some supposed contenders are in these rankings. The Texans, Chargers and Bucs are all 0-2 and looking up at a lot of teams ahead of them.
None of those teams can afford to fall to 0-3 this week, or they might be done. As for the bottom, the Miami Dolphins stay there after getting beaten up on the road by the San Francisco 49ers. The good news is they play their home opener this week.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
