The Cincinnati Bengals are off to a 2-0 start, and the defense is at the heart of their impressive performances. In Week 2 against the Houston Texans, the Bengals defense took away the running game, forcing C. J. Stroud to make 55 pass attempts.
Moreover, Dexter Lawrence II’s arrival has shifted the culture on that side of the ball for Cincinnati. There were questions after the Bengals traded a Top 10 pick for Lawrence, but through two games, the veteran defensive tackle has shown to be worth it.
In two games so far this season, Lawrence has played 86 snaps, leading to a 91.5 overall PFF defensive grade. The Bengals star has also recorded eight total pressures, six hurries, two QB hits, three stops, and three solo tackles.
Ahead of the Week 3 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cam Heyward issued a warning to his own team’s offensive line, warning them that they need to double-team Lawrence in their upcoming game.
“Cincinnati’s defense has been balling as of late,” Heyward said during a Sept. 22 appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show.” “A lot of respect for what Dexter Lawrence is doing over there, and he knows how to plug up the middle. If you’re not double-teaming that guy, that is crazy because he’s already a behemoth of a man. So, it’s putting a lot on the center or guard to just block him one-on-one.”
Rex Ryan Gets Blunt on Dexter Lawrence II’s Impact
The Steelers will be looking for a bounce-back win against the Bengals after scoring three points in their Week 2 loss to the New England Patriots. Cincinnati is coming off only giving up six points to the Texans, so it will be interesting to see how this matchup plays out.
Amid Cincinnati’s impressive start, former NFL head coach Rex Ryan is praising the defensive tackle as the team looks to carry this form into Week 3.
“There’s no miracle formula; same defensive coordinator and all that [but] they got the man in the middle, Dexter Lawrence,” Ryan said on a Sept. 21 appearance on “Get Up” when talking about the veteran defensive tackle.
“Why in the world would you give up a top-10 pick in the draft? Why? Because of this monster inside. This is the best defensive tackle in football.”
Tee Higgins Pushing Bengals to Get Better Ahead of Week 3
Despite being 2-0, the Bengals aren’t content, and wideout Tee Higgins noted that the team still has areas to improve as they look to go 3-0 when Week 3 comes around against the Steelers.
“I feel like everybody was clicking today,” Higgins said after the win over the Texans. “Obviously, we left some out there. I’m not gonna ever say that it was perfect out there because we wasn’t. A lot of flags that shouldn’t happen, a lot of false starts, and not only by the O-line, some by skill position, and that’s things we got to correct.
“I’m not gonna say it was the perfect game. Obviously, we won. It’s a good thing, but we got to build off the mistakes and off the errors and come back stronger next week versus Pittsburgh.”
Steelers Get Pointed Take on Dexter Lawrence Before Bengals Game