Joe Burrow’s middle-of-the-pack offense faces a defensive unit in flux as Cincinnati’s statistical extremes reveal a team searching for consistency following a volatile three-game opening stretch.
The Cincinnati Bengals are 2-1 after a head-scratcher against the Pittsburgh Steelers, in which their usually stout defense, at least through two games, looked less than stout against the Steelers' offense.
However, the offense showed up, scoring 27 points and moving the ball through the air. Given the Jekyll-and-Hyde three games, where do the Bengals rank statistically across the NFL in some of the biggest parts of the game?
Offensively, the Bengals rank 16th in yards per game at 323.3, which aligns with Burrow’s “incredibly average” statement after Week 2 against the Houston Texans. Cincinnati is currently 13th in passing yards per game with 232, and 27th in rushing yards per game with just 91.3, as the immediate returns of going under center more often and developing the run game have not materialized through three games.
Cincinnati is also 12th in points per game, averaging 26.7.
Defensively, the Bengals took a massive hit in the rankings with their poor performance against the Steelers. After giving up more than 400 yards of total offense, the Bengals slipped to No. 23 in the NFL, allowing 355.7 yards per game. They allowed Aaron Rodgers to throw for more than 290 yards (292) for just the third time since December of 2024.
Cincinnati is 28th in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game, at 260. They are also 9th in rushing yards allowed per game, with the best mark in the AFC North. From a points-per-game perspective, Cincinnati allowing only six points to the Houston Texans is a major help, as they rank No. 12 in the NFL in points per game.
The Bengals are +2 in turnover differential, the ninth-best mark in the NFL.
Cincinnati will play a Jacksonville team with the 23rd-best passing offense in yards per game and the 10th-best rushing offense in yards per game. Meanwhile, the Jaguars' defense ranks 16th in yards allowed per game, allowing only 91.3 rushing yards per game (8th in the NFL) and 235.7 passing yards per game (23rd in the league).
This is shaping up to be a great game and a great opportunity for the Bengals to pick up a big win at home after their road loss to the Steelers. If the defense is as good as many think, they need to prove Week 3 was a fluke and rebound against a quality offense led by Trevor Lawrence, Bhayshul Tuten, and Parker Washington.
Cincinnati will look to improve to 3-1 against Jacksonville.
