The Cincinnati Bengals offense has been an elite unit in the NFL for several years now, with the dynamic partnership of Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins on top, making up perhaps the best wide receiver corps in the league.
It's always a case of 'make sure Burrow is healthy', and that has been the case so far in 2026. The Bengals QB has been elite yet again, staking his claim for a potential MVP run as we come out of the BYE week.
The Bengals are 3-2 and face the Baltimore Ravens in Week 7. They'll be relying on the offense to keep up with Lamar Jackson (assuming he is fit to play) and boost their chances of winning the AFC North. But how good has the offense been this season? Stripe Hype decided to grade every position group...
Quarterback: A
Burrow has been his usual elite self this season so far. He's thrown for over 1300 yards and 11 touchdowns, with just three interceptions. Burrow's numbers speak for themselves; In the two games the Bengals lost, it certainly wasn't his fault.
He has a completion percentage of over 70%, which is the highest of any QB who has played every game this season. Furthermore, he's seventh in QB rating, according to ESPN, and ahead of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Caleb Williams and Matthew Stafford in passer rating. It's an easy A for Burrow.
Running back: C-
Perhaps the biggest worry on the entire Bengals' roster through six weeks, the running back position has not been good. Chase Brown hasn't been anywhere near what we expected him to be this season, as he's rushed for 246 yards and one touchdown, averaging 3.5 yards per carry.
You can't blame his lack of production on the offensive line either, as the Bengals' line is one of the better run-blocking lines in the NFL this season. There comes a point when we have to consider why Brown is struggling, because it is on him.
Samaje Perine has looked like the better back so far this season, which says all you need to know. After Week 5 against the Dolphins, when Perine had almost two more yards per carry than Brown and a receiving touchdown, questions must be asked about who the starter is.
Wide receiver: A+
The only blot on the receiver room is that the Bengals have seen a few injuries, with Tee Higgins, Ja'Marr Chase and Andrei Iosivas all suffering injuries so far this season, but you can only grade this unit as the best because it is.
Chase has caught four touchdown passes in five games, and Higgins has well over 400 receiving yards so far this season, top 10 in yards per game. They are both elite and would both be the WR1 on most NFL rosters, so it's an A+, and let's move on.
Tight end: B+
Tight end has felt like a weakness for the Bengals ever since Tyler Eifert left, but this season, the production has been good. Mike Gesicki is essentially an extra wide receiver, and he's played like it too, catching four touchdowns through five games, the same as Chase.
Even behind Gesicki, Drew Sample is a fantastic blocking tight end, and Erick All Jr. can do both. Gesicki is really the star of the show here, as he's such a red zone threat, but the Bengals have strength in depth too, which is important.
Offensive tackle: B+
It's kind of a tale of two cities with the offensive tackles. On one side, Amarius Mims, who has been one of the best tackles in the NFL this season. His pass blocking has been elite, and he's had matchups against the likes of Will Anderson, T.J. Watt and Josh Hines-Allen. Mims has proven he can protect Burrow no matter who the Bengals come up against.
On the other side, Orlando Brown Jr. has been unremarkable at best. He's allowed 12 pressures, three sacks, and five quarterback hits. Perhaps after this season, Brown will be one to replace, but he's certainly not detrimental to the Bengals.
Interior offensive line: B
The Bengals' interior line has been an issue over the past few seasons, but it seems to be an issue that's been fixed. PFF ranks the interior line as 13th in the NFL. Veteran center Ted Karras has perhaps been the worst of the starters, but he's an average yet experienced member of the Bengals' offense.
Dylan Fairchild continues to improve in his second year, proving to be a really solid pass blocker, with decent run-blocking stats too. Dalton Risner, on the other hand, has been excellent, specifically in run blocking.
Risner has an overall PFF grade of 81.7, which is seventh among 76 qualifying guards. He's been a good pass blocker and a superb run-blocker, making this line an above-average unit in the league; It feels like it's been a while since we've been able to say that.
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