The Cincinnati Bengals Defense Said “Screw Average!”
We talked about it all offseason. Joe Burrow’s back, Chase Brown in the backfield, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on the outside, this offense is ready to go. The main concern entering this season was the defense, a unit that finished bottom five in points, yards, and EPA last season.
That was the question: Can this defense be just okay? Can it be just league average? Because if it can, the Cincinnati Bengals can be serious contenders.
But this Cincinnati defense said, “screw average!”
This defense has been awesome to start the season against two competent offenses with good quarterbacks. They faced Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1 before taking on C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans on Sunday.
The Bengals defense has vastly outperformed expectations, holding their opponents to 16.5 points per game while ranking third in EPA per play.
Their pass rush has been a big reason for their success, as their 41.4 percent QB pressure rate ranks eighth, and they tie for first in the league with eight sacks to start the season. What makes that so impressive is that they’ve generated that kind of pressure with defensive coordinator Al Golden blitzing only 12.1 percent of the time, the lowest rate in the league. Generating pressure without blitzing makes life a lot easier on the back end and has been a huge part of this defense’s early success.
Golden has this defense playing great, and it will be a unit to watch to see if they can maintain this level of play.
Klint Kubiak Has the Las Vegas Raiders Believing Again
Klint Kubiak and the Las Vegas Raiders have won back-to-back games to start the season, putting them just one win away from matching their entire win total from last year. And these haven’t been close wins either. The Raiders have won both games by two possessions, with Kubiak’s offense averaging 26.5 points per game.
Kubiak has also made it a point to make running back Ashton Jeanty the engine of this offense. Jeanty has received 44 total carries but Kubiak hasn’t limited him to the running game. He has been heavily involved as a receiver as well, leading the team in both receptions and targets.
But Kubiak’s impact goes beyond the offense. He has completely changed the culture in Las Vegas and has this team and its fans believing again.
That extends to how he is handling first overall pick Fernando Mendoza’s development. Kubiak hasn’t wavered on his approach to start veteran Kirk Cousins and allow Mendoza to sit and learn without the pressure of playing.
Kubiak’s conviction, his ability to quickly set a winning standard, and his desire to feed Jeanty make the Raiders an exciting team to watch, not only this year but for years to come. If he can continue to build on this start, Kubiak could grow into one of the best coaches in the league.
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