The Cincinnati Bengals have never had the NFL's best defense in the Joe Burrow Era, but they had a competent unit in 2021 and 2022. They made the Super Bowl and AFC Championship Game in '21 and '22, respectively.

Cincinnati's defense has declined since then, and so has its team success. The squad has finished in the bottom third of the NFL in points allowed per game in each of the last three seasons and has yet to return to the playoffs. 

The Houston Texans are another story. They've made the AFC Divisional Round in each of the last three campaigns, most recently falling 28-16 to the New England Patriots on Sunday. They finished second in the NFL with 17.3 points allowed per game in the regular season and finished top-11 in that category in each of the two previous years.

Combine the Bengals' offense with the Texans' defense, and that would be an elite all-around squad. Burrow led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns in 2024 while star wideout Ja'Marr Chase won the receiving Triple Crown. Burrow missed over half of the 2025 campaign with a turf toe injury, but he's shown what he can do over a full season.

On the other hand, Houston quarterback CJ Stroud has regressed since his breakout rookie year in 2023. The 24-year-old had nine games with less than two touchdown passes in the regular season and threw four interceptions against the Patriots on Sunday. 

The Texans still went 12-5 and made it to the second round despite Stroud's limitations this season, while the Bengals missed the playoffs at 9-8 with Burrow and Chase lighting the box score up all season in 2024. However, neither team has reached their goals due to only being up to par on one side of the ball.

If Cincinnati builds a defense anything like Houston's in the near future, its offensive talent can help it dominate the AFC.

The Bengals aren't likely to be as good as the Texans are defensively next season, as it takes time to develop a unit to that level. The latter team has All-Pros like defensive end Will Anderson Jr., cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., and defensive end Danielle Hunter, while linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair earned his first Pro Bowl selection this season.

If Cincinnati select the right defensive prospects on Day 1 and Day 2 of the NFL Draft this spring, that will be a start. The team owns the No. 10 and No. 41 overall selections, as well as a third-round pick. Houston drafted Stingley No. 3 in 2022 and Anderson No. 3 in 2023, so that shows what can happen when an organization hits on its top picks in back-to-back years.

However, the Texans signed Hunter and Al-Shaair in free agency in 2024, so their defense isn't completely homegrown. Given that star pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson is hitting the open market this offseason, the Bengals could use a reliable veteran to replace him if he doesn't return.

Simultaneously utilizing the veteran market for short-term help and the draft for long-term development is the way to maintain consistent success. Cincinatti has already done the hardest thing in football, which is develop and retain a superstar quarterback. Now, it needs to make shrewd defensive moves to support him, Chase, and fellow star wideout Tee Higgins.