Defense might be a top-10 unit
The Bengals put a lot of work into their defense this offseason and it’s paid dividends. They signed Trey Hendrickson to a large contract, brought in guys like Larry Ogunjobi, Chidobe Awuzie, and Mike Hilton, and extended Sam Hubbard.
As mentioned, it’s paid off. The Bengals defense looks to be for real through three games and it’s made it possible for Cincy to get off to this 2-1 start and sit tied for first place in the division.
In this game, the defense put constant pressure on Ben Roethlisberger, sacking him four times and picking him off twice. Big Ben isn’t the quarterback he used to be but he’s been able to tear the Cincy secondary to shreds in recent years. He wasn’t able to do that as easily this week, as they made him uncomfortable throughout.
Logan Wilson has transformed into the game-changing linebacker this franchise needs, Sam Hubbard finally had a massive game, Larry Ogunjobi continues to be a menace upfront, and with Trae Waynes set to return next week, this defense could be one of the best in the league. That’s not something any of us expected to be the case three weeks into the year.