It's been a stellar start for the revamped Cincinnati Bengals defense this season. The team is 2-0, and arguably the defense has been better than the Joe Burrow-led offense, something we certainly didn't expect after two weeks.
Cincinnati's defense beat up Houston's offense last week, preventing them from scoring a touchdown, and leaving Texas with a 20-6 win. This weekend, the Bengals are traveling again, but its to familiar territory, as they face division rivals the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, hoping to get to 3-0.
The Steelers have really struggled so far this season. They are 1-1, losing to the New England Patriots last week, and beating a frankly lackluster Falcons side in Week 1. In both games, Pittsburgh's offense has failed to gain any momentum, and Aaron Rodgers has had one of his worst starts to an NFL season.
Rodgers has 408 yards with one touchdown and one interception through two games. His completion percentage is less than 60%, and he's been sacked six times already. From a Steelers perspective, playing a defense that is red hot right now is the last thing they need.
Rodgers already knows Dexter Lawrence is trouble
Last week against the Texans, Dexter Lawrence proved why the Bengals spent a first-round pick on him. Through two weeks, he is one of the highest-graded defensive players in the NFL, and Cincinnati currently has one of the best-performing defensive lines in the league.
Aaron Rodgers was quick to point out how good Lawrence can be. Ahead of Sunday's game, he spoke to Black and Gold Nation, and was full of praise for Cincinnati's defensive leader. Rodgers said:
"He’s [Lawrence] an All-Pro player. He’s a load inside, but he’s not a slug in there; he can really move. He’s a good pass rusher. He’s got good moves and good lateral quickness. He moves as well as anybody in the league at his size, so he’s going to be a focal point for every team that plays against him."
What's particularly worrying from Rodgers' perspective is that the Steelers' offensive line has been really poor to start the year. Last week, the Steelers allowed four sacks to the Patriots, and they're going up against a Bengals front which is tied for the most sacks in the NFL through two weeks.
Rodgers clearly rates Lawrence as an athlete and as a professional, and he's vocalised this. There's no doubt that he will have been vocal all week about how the Steelers can stop him, because with Lawrence against a weaker offensive line, the story is already written. Good luck, Aaron Rodgers.
Add us as a preferred source on Google