Bengals' daring run-stopping strategy could allow their defense to be NFL's best

The Cincinnati Bengals defense excelled at stopping the run in Week 2, which was arguably the most important aspect of their defensive prowess in their 20-6 win over the Houston Texans.

The two Texans running backs, Woody Marks and David Montgomery, combined for just 18 yards on 14 combined carries. Quarterback C.J. Stroud added an extra 29 yards to that rushing total after running for his life all game. He was pressured on 43.5% of his 62 dropbacks.

The Texans' inability to move the ball on the ground is what forced them to try to pass all game, despite the absence of standout wide receivers Nico Collins, Tank Dell and Jayden Higgins.

The Cincinnati Bengals stopped the run without needing to do anything special

The part about the stout run defense from the Bengals in Week 2 that should strike fear into the hearts of the rest of the league is the way they did it. The Bengals and defensive coordinator Al Golden are stacking the box with significantly fewer defenders than any other team in the NFL, yet they are having as much success stopping the run as anyone.

The Bengals lead the league with the best rushing success rate allowed and are second in the NFL in run stuff rate at 32.3%. Run stuff rate is the percentage of opponent plays that result in a tackle for loss or no gain.

The ability to stop the run without needing to throw extra defenders in the box is often the hallmark of an elite defense. The Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks boasted one of the league's best run defenses (first in YPC allowed, third in total rushing yards allowed) in 2025 while having a heavy box rate that was among the bottom two in the NFL. This was because they could trust their base defensive line to stop the run without help.

When the four base defensive linemen can be trusted to operate without help up front, the rest of the defense is allowed to drop back and put a lid on the offense. This was shown to be the case against the Texans, as only two of Stroud's 55 pass attempts were completed over 20 yards downfield. None of his pass attempts resulted in six points.

Offseason additions are what allow the Bengals defense to stop the run without help

The offseason additions of defensive tackles Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen are two main factors in the Bengals' ability to stop the run without stacking the box. Lawrence made his presence known throughout the game and his ability to clog up the middle of the field changes everything for how an offense has to call the game.

There's no shortage of data points to underscore just how impactful Lawrence has been, and how he's put the clamps on ludicrous "overpaid" narratives after just two games.

One key aspect of stuffing the run is that not all run stuffs are built the same. Some tackles for loss on run plays can simply force the offense to reset and try again with a 2nd and 1. Other run stuffs can change the entire momentum of the game, as quarterback Joe Burrow said of Lawrence's big-time stop on fourth down in an article from WLWT.

"Dex really set the tone on that first fourth and one," said Burrow. "That big stop — I don't remember exactly when that was in the game — but I think it was the first quarter. He set the tone for the rest of the day."

If Lawrence can continue to make an impact while giving the back end of the defense all the help they can get, the Bengals defense can take them a long way. The tactic of rushing just three defensive linemen is what allowed the Bengals to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes on their way to the Super Bowl in 2021.

After allowing Mahomes to throw for three touchdowns in the first half of the 2021 AFC Championship Game, the Bengals switched to rushing just three defenders on half of Mahomes' dropbacks. Mahomes proceeded to complete just three passes and get sacked four times on those dropbacks.

Getting as much help as possible when facing the elite quarterback talent that will inevitably be present deep in the playoffs is imperative. The Bengals were able to do it in 2021 with defensive tackle D.J. Reader in the middle, and it appears they will be able to do it in 2026 with Lawrence in his stead.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow