After five games, the Cincinnati Bengals stand at a disappointing 3-2. The bye week couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.
As Joe Burrow said, the team needs to be better all around and avoid the little mistakes that cost them two games by a combined eight points.
Here are three things we learned:
1. The defense has improved, but they can’t stop the run
Last year, the Bengals had one of the worst defenses in the league, giving up 380.9 yards and 28.9 points a game.
This year, they’re giving up just 21.8 points per game, good for 11th best.
They also forced more turnovers, including four against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And they continue to struggle against quarterbacks, including 41 pressures against the Houston Texans.
Boye Mafe and Jonathan Allen were successful in building pressure.
But the centerpiece (figuratively and literally) is Dexter Lawrence, who exceeded the lofty expectations that came with being traded for the 10th overall pick in the 2026 Draft.
Thanks to Lawrence, the Bengals went from the NFL’s lowest run stuff rate in 2025 to the highest through Week 5 of this season.
The problem is when runners get past Lawrence.
Over the last three weeks, Cincinnati is allowing an average of 155.3 rushing yards per game.
The result was a losing streak and a game against the Miami Dolphins that was closer than it should have been.
If Lamar Jackson plays Sunday, the Bengals defense could be in for a long day.
2. Burrow and Chase still handle the offense
The passing game works, averaging 260 yards per game (seventh in the NFL).
Burrow has 11 touchdowns in five games, and he’s just warming up.
Ja’Marr Chase suffered a concussion against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he’s still making fun plays when he’s on the field. Tee Higgins has also been outstanding. And they even have an elite right tackle in Amarius Mims, who very rarely allows QB pressure.
The problem is twofold: those big passing plays come from incredible athleticism or playmaking from the receivers and Burrow. And the running game doesn’t make things easy (outside of the Miami game).
Currently, the Bengals are 26th in the league at 82.8 rushing yards per game.
Against the Jaguars, Burrow threw 54 times and made a costly mistake in the fourth quarter. That’s what happens when you get too one-dimensional in the NFL.
Then Samaje Perine got more involved against the Dolphins, and the run game turned around.
It’s unclear whether the 31-year-old veteran running back can continue to get double digit carries or not.
But that game showed that Cincinnati needs a bigger, more traditional runner to lead the rush attack instead of Chase Brown. (I’m very much in favor of trading for Jonathan Taylor, for what it’s worth.)
3. The Bengals’ biggest enemy is themselves
The two losses this year were completely avoidable.
The Pittsburgh game was largely decided by two special teams mishaps.
And against Jacksonville, Burrow made a shockingly bad read that put the Bengals in scoring position and set up the Jaguars for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Additionally, Cincinnati had some sloppy plays against Miami, including two personal fouls, a foul on a field goal (which later turned into a touchdown), two red zone fumbles, and a kickoff that was caught at the 4-yard line.
The bye week is the perfect time to take a deep breath, reevaluate, and get your focus back if you’re Zac Taylor and the Bengals.
Once they do that, they need to prepare Derrick Henry and the Ravens.
We previewed that game with HOF Bengals coach Jim McNally and Ravens YouTuber Engraven in the video below.