Seven weeks are close to being in the book for this NFL season. That’s crazy, isn’t it? This year has been full of shocking surprises. With a straight face, did you see the Arizona Cardinals as the lone undefeated team in the league up to this point? How about the Las Vegas Raiders being in first place in the AFC West? Speaking of that division, the Kansas City Chiefs are in last place! I bet you didn’t see that one coming. One team that’s also been a surprise in a good way has been the Cincinnati Bengals. As of now, they are in first place in the AFC North, a division that was expected to be a two-team race between the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers were a big question mark coming into the season. What exactly has gone right for them?
I notice how potent they are on offense. There are moments when I feel they are a little too dependent on Joe Burrow. If there’s one thing I’d suggest they do, it’s lean a little more on the running game with Joe Mixon. I said a few weeks ago that he’s what Aaron Jones is to the Packers when they feed him the football because he can impact the game both as a runner and a receiver. You all have read and probably heard about my admiration for Joe Burrow. The same intensity he plays with now as a pro is exactly what I saw from him in Baton Rouge while playing for the LSU Tigers. He’s so locked at the moment. I like how he doesn’t just circle in on one receiver. Joe will spread the football around to the open guy. Tyler Boyd has been a nice complementary piece and C.J. Uzomah gives them a nice target down the field as a tight end. Then, I can’t forget Ja’Marr Chase! So many people (myself included) bashed the Bengals for going with a wide receiver instead of offensive line help. Joe and Ja’Marr haven’t missed a beat. Their chemistry goes back to their college days at LSU. Every time the ball hits Ja’Marr’s hands, he’s making a play. They do more than enough offensively to keep themselves in football games.
The defense has been stingy all year long. For the last few years, they would be lucky to get off the field. Now, they can rush the passer with the best of them because they get a big push upfront from the defensive line. Against the Ravens yesterday, they did a great job of containing Lamar Jackson and sacked him a total of five times. The defense also got to Lamar before he could get any big gains with his feet. This Cincy defense is quick and they travel to the football very well. They get to quarterbacks in different ways. I’ve watched them use creative blitzes and implement different schemes to make teams one-dimensional. Their pass rush is much improved. Signing Trey Hendrickson was one of the best decisions they made because he’s amped up their entire pass rush. They’ve been a fun team to watch early on.
