The Cincinnati Bengals snapped a four-game skid and reversed course from losing eight of nine in a commanding 32-14 road win over the Ravens on Thanksgiving, but their defense needs to be on point yet again against the Bills on Sunday.
Stymieing a banged-up Lamar Jackson in Baltimore is one thing. It'd bode well for the rest of the season's home stretch to say the least if Cincinnati's D can do anything like that at Buffalo against the seemingly indestructible Josh Allen.
More than almost anything else, this anticipated Week 14 quarterback duel between Allen and Joe Burrow will come down to which defense fares better in an area of shared weakness.
Bengals must win tackling battle in Buffalo over similarly-challenged Bills
So yes, the Bengals are trending better on defense and were even before logging five takeaways on the recent holiday. That still doesn't negate the tackling problem that's plagued them the whole year.
Cincinnati has actually struggled getting opponents to the ground for almost two years. A five-game winning streak to end the 2024 campaign made those numbers look a little better. It was a mirage based on what's happened this year.
It may surprise folks to know, though, that advanced data shows Buffalo's renowned defense under head coach Sean McDermott is even worse than the Bengals in that area.
You know how bad the Bengals tackling has been on Defense?
— Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) December 3, 2025
The Bills have a lower Tackling grade on PFF.
They have missed 15.4% of their tackle attempts as a team.
The Bengals have missed 13.7% of tackle attempts.
Isn't that wild? Us Who Dey Heads have seen some egregious tackling efforts that have ultimately cost the Bengals no fewer than two games. For a 4-8 team that could otherwise be tied atop the AFC North, that stings, especially in light of Burrow's rapid return to the lineup.
Allen will, in all likelihood, make the mind-boggling plays that only he can on a few occasions. The key for Cincinnati is to not overreact to that, or get down when Allen takes off for a huge run, or extends a play and finds a chunk gain through the air on an explosive pass. What's critical is to limit the damage when Bills playmakers are in space.
That all starts with staying disciplined in fitting the run, because if Buffalo tailback James Cook starts rolling, they're in trouble. The Bills spam-called two running plays in their Week 13 victory over the Steelers, as Cook piled up 145 yards on 32 carries.
Combine Cook's heavy workload with the Bengals' rest advantage off the mini Thanksgiving bye, and there's reason to believe they can get the edge there. Buffalo isn't flush with star receiver talent, so Cincinnati's surging secondary and rookie linebackers Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr. must tackle pass-catchers in space to maximize their chances of coming home with a win.
If Tee Higgins returns from his concussion and Ja'Marr Chase does Ja'Marr Chase things, that should help the Bengals capitalize on the Bills' tackling woes. However, in spite of how bad Buffalo has tackled, they still boast the NFL's No. 1 pass defense.
Don't be surprised to see a heavy dose of Chase Brown, Samaje Perine, and Cincinnati's suddenly-viable rushing attack. Brown has 100+ scrimmage yards in six straight games, but has Perine to lean on to take some of the burden off his plate for only the second time since Week 9. Perine's own comeback from an injury last week, and again, the extra rest from Thanksgiving, should have him ready to punish Bills defenders for some tough yards after contact.