After a great start to the 2026 season, there is so much to be happy about with the Cincinnati Bengals. Joe Burrow is being his powerful, accurate self, Evan McPherson is reliable, and the defense is great. Despite the Week 3 loss, taking the AFC North is still a doable task.
With that, there are some things that are working for the Bengals, but there’s also one or two things that need improvement if the team wants a winning record in the end.
Evan McPherson is firing on all cylinders
Evan McPherson is one thing that is going very right so far this season. In what have been close games (and wins) so far, McPherson’s field goals have made all the difference in the best way. For the first three weeks, McPherson is 8-for-8 and has a 100.0 field goal percentage. He has contributed 32 points to team scores so far.
McPherson has made field goals from 55, 57, and 58 yards just to name a few. Through the first three weeks, he did not miss a field goal, consistency at its finest! McPherson’s ability to kick from just about anywhere has benefited the team this season, and will continue to do so.
The new and improved defense is (mostly) working
Yes, you read that right. All summer everyone was questioning how Al Golden’s new and improved defense would perform, and the answer is solid - mostly. While not perfect, this defense has been a major upgrade compared to years past. With Dexter Lawrence and Cashius Howell being among the most notable playmakers.
Also, Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr. have been playing great so far and have really stepped up. Knight Jr. is also responsible for the first touchdown of the 2026 season, after he recovered a fumble and gave the team an early lead in the first quarter of Week 1. Carter’s tackling has also greatly improved this season. Week 3’s aggressive environment aside, this defense has had solid overall performances so far.
Penalties and giveaways threaten to derail Bengals' early momentum
Admittedly, penalties and fumbles have been on full display so far, especially seen in Week 3 against the Steelers, a win that was nearly within reach against a division rival. Fumbles by Joe Burrow and Ke’Shawn Williams altered the result of the game. In a shocking turn, the Bengals released Williams, and then subsequently brought him back to the practice squad after what turned out to be a huge error.
Ultimately, things that may have been okay the first two weeks, are clearly not going to slide moving forward. For example, Orlando Brown Jr. had critical errors the first two weeks, both in penalties and coverage. While the first two weeks ended up in the win column, mistakes like that can't happen, and won't work.
The positive thing is that all of what's wrong with the team is very fixable, and with it being so early in the season, there's time to clean up errors and be stellar all around moving forward.
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