How the Bengals' New Defensive Line Changed the Game Against the Ravens

The Cincinnati Bengals scored 35 unanswered points to earn a massive AFC North win over the Baltimore Ravens. The story of the game was the offense flipping the switch after being shut out and gaining fewer than 60 yards in the first half.

Joe Burrow threw four touchdown passes to four different receivers and finished with 292 yards. Tee Higgins had six catches for 148 yards, and Ja'Marr Chase showed off his stellar route running with a touchdown catch in the right corner of the end zone.

However, the Bengals' revamped defensive line deserves massive credit. It has not only stuffed the stat sheet through the first six games of the season but has also completely changed the identity and attitude of the defense. It would have been very hard to imagine Cincinnati coming back from a 13-0 halftime deficit last season.

Now that defensive front has been completely remade, with Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen, Boye Mafe and Cashius Howell as new faces who have performed very well so far this season.

That group combined for 3.5 sacks, with Mafe getting 1.5. Safety Bryan Cook split a sack with Mafe. Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley played one of the best games of his career in the first half, according to CBS play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz, but the Bengals defense wasn't discouraged or deterred, stepping up to dominate the final 30 minutes. The Ravens went 1-for-5 on third down in the second half, and Cook led the team with four second-half tackles.

The defense held Baltimore to just 101 second-half yards on 26 plays. The Bengals allowed just 34 rushing yards, mirroring last week's performance by the Cleveland Browns, who shut down Derrick Henry and limited him to below 20 carries. Three of the four sacks came in the second half as the defensive line drove the final nail in the coffin. Lawrence's late sack and his celebration alongside Mafe and Howell made for an image Bengals fans will remember and relish all week.

Cincinnati now ranks eighth in the NFL in opponent points per game and ninth in points per play at 0.328. The Bengals rank 21st in the NFL in yards allowed at 346.7 per game, but they are giving up only two touchdowns a game, which is sixth in the league.

With their upcoming slate of games, the Bengals are well-positioned to continue this trend on defense, led by their 2026 free agent signings.