Bengals Defense Ranks Top Five Among NFL Teams in Key 2026 Metric

The defense has created more havoc this season

Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence (97) chases Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis (2) in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 5 game between the Miami Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. The Bengals improved to 3-2 on the season with a 31-24 win on the road. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Bengals defense has shown solid improvement in several areas to start the season, but one stat shows it's one of the league's most opportunistic units. Over five weeks, the Bengals defense ranks fourth in creating havoc for opposing offenses, a statistic that measures the percentage of times a defense gets pressure, a tackle for loss, a pass breakup, or a turnover.

The individual defensive stats back this up as they are twelfth in pressure rate at 32.5%, tied for the third-most sacks in the league with 17. They also rank eighth with 28 TFL's, eleventh in PBU's with 25, and seventh in takeaways with 8.

Offseason Additions Have Turned Defense Around

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Boye Mafe (53) pressures Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis (2) as he throws in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 5 game between the Miami Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. The Bengals improved to 3-2 on the season with a 31-24 win on the road. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It is clear that the offseason additions have improved the Bengals' defense more than the team could have imagined. The most drastic improvement, however, comes from the defensive line.

Boye Mafe, Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen, and Cashius Howell have all had tremendous impacts on the pass rush and are the reason for Cincinnati's dominance in the trenches this year.

Mafe, in particular, has emerged as the Bengals' most capable pass rusher so far, leading the team with 25 pressures and tying Lawrence and Allen with three sacks. Lawrence and Allen also both have at least 16 pressures each five weeks into the season.

Following the Bengals' recent win over the Dolphins, Mafe suggested the defense could reach another level.

“It definitely felt like it was more connected, but there still are more things that we can do, and more that we can do to keep going," Mafe said. "There's another level, and that's the thing that I feel like today we realize is that there is another level that we can take it to."

Should the defense reach a higher level, we could see it eclipse 60 sacks this season, as it is on pace for 58 through 17 games. That would break the current franchise record of 51, set in 2012. That should, in turn, lead to the defense creating even more havoc than it is now.

Top NFL defenses this season in causing "Havoc" which is the % of plays a defense gets a pressure, TFL, forced fumble, INT, or pass breakup pic.twitter.com/RpBcNISaQF

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) October 14, 2026

Boye Mafe says the Bengals D was much more connected Sunday: “It definitely felt like it was more connected, but there still are more things that we can do, and more that we can do to keep going. There's another level, and that's the thing that I feel like today we realize is… pic.twitter.com/ZPndnm6eoW

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) October 12, 2026

Sign Up For Our DAILY Newsletter for More Free Coverage of the Cincinnati Bengals Delivered to You Directly

For more on the Bengals, subscribe to our YouTube Channel and be sure to check us out on your favorite audio platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and Amazon. Bookmark BengalsTalk.com for the latest Bengals news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns, and more! We're a one-stop shop for all things Cincinnati Bengals! Join the 67,000+ Bengals fans who subscribe to us on YouTube.