5 most difficult defenses Joe Burrow and Bengals will face in 2023
By Glenn Adams
![December 19, 2021; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa (97) December 19, 2021; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa (97)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3937,h_2214,x_0,y_1572/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/59/01h25mwms6dphrnrx688.jpg)
2. Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are the only team to finish in the top 10 of the fewest yards allowed in both passing and rushing in 2022 on the schedule for the Bengals. Their defensive unit was ninth in passing and fourth in rushing yards allowed last season. Their strong pass rush helped the secondary to the fourth-best mark in both QB rating against (82.1) and interceptions (17).
Buffalo’s stout defense allowed the second fewest points in 2022 just behind the 49ers.
The Bills have two of PFF’s top 25 pass rushers in Von Miller and Gregory Rousseau that offenses must contend with. Also, defensive tackle Ed Oliver just signed a new contract extension to stay in Buffalo for several more years. Not to mention that Leonard Floyd recently signed with the Bills.
𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲: #Bills sign DT Ed Oliver to a 4-year, $68 million contract with $45 million guaranteed, per @AdamSchefter pic.twitter.com/WWGNxeIySE
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) June 3, 2023
Teams could have a rough time running and passing versus a tough Bills defense. However, as they showed last year in the playoffs, Cincinnati can handle Buffalo’s vaunted defense. Hopefully, that will be the case again when the Bengals face Buffalo in Week 9 on a Sunday night.