Bengals defense takes another step with strong performance versus Arizona

CINCINNATI — Facing the seventh-ranked passing game in the NFL, the Cincinnati Bengals' maligned defense turned in its best performance of the season in Sunday's 37-14 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

The Bengals emptied their bench in the fourth quarter with a 30-point lead, and Arizona was able to move the ball in the fourth quarter against Cincinnati's backups.

But through three quarters, Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett was held to 86 passing yards. The Cardinals also finished the game averaging just 3.2 yards per carry.

''I thought defensively, really shutting down the run game, not giving them anything in the run game early on outside of that one touchdown early in the game — I thought they played really good,'' Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. ''Got a lot of pressure on Jacoby (Brissett), four sacks, a bunch of TFLs, really harassed him throughout the night — that was awesome to see. (Holding them to) 3-for-13 on third down was critical for us.''

The Bengals are especially seeing progress at outside cornerback. DJ Turner continued what's viewed as a Pro Bowl-caliber season by Taylor, and cornerback Dax Hill had one of the best games of his NFL career. Hill broke up three passes and didn't allow a single catch while frequently matching up against Cardinals star tight end Trey McBride and 2024 first-round pick Marvin Harrison Jr.

McBride set the single-season receptions record for an NFL tight end this season, but the Bengals held him to 31 total receiving yards through three quarters when the Bengals starters were in the game. McBride tacked on 45 more yards in the fourth quarter against the Bengals backups.

Pass rush and coverage worked together on Sunday as the Bengals had four sacks and eight quarterback hits.

Stewart has missed most of the season with injuries, and he's one of the core players whom the Bengals are counting on taking a step forward in 2026. Taylor said that these reps are important for the first-round pick out of Texas A&M.

''He hasn't gotten a chance to just be healthy for a long stretch,'' Taylor said. ''It's always a stop-start this year, no fault of his own with the injuries. So, to see him out there accumulating a bunch of snaps over these last couple weeks, first career sack, can get that off your back a little bit before you're going to the offseason. He's got a lot of potential for us.''

Rookie linebackers Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter played critical roles in the Bengals' successful plan against McBride, and Carter made one of the best plays of his young career with a leaping pass breakup that created a third down stop.

The Bengals defense continues to show incremental progress.

''(The Bengals defense) tackled well,'' quarterback Joe Burrow said. ''We stopped the run. And when you do those two things, then you get to third down and anything can happen on third down. So, the key is stopping the run, and we've done that for several weeks in a row now. It's been fun to watch.''

The Bengals have scored at least 37 points in consecutive games for the second time this season, only this time they won both games. The Bengals have had their full complement of pass catchers available over the past two games, and the passing game has been on a roll. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Burrow completed all 19 of his passes when not pressured for 203 yards and three touchdowns. Over the past seven seasons, no quarterback has finished with more completions from clean pockets without an incompletion in any game.

What needs help

Free safety Geno Stone continued a below-average season with another game where he missed multiple tackles. The most glaring one on Sunday was on the Cardinals' 38-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. Stone leaped at Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson and barely made contact with him, which allowed Wilson to score.

Stock up

Return specialist Ke'Shawn Williams, who joined the team just two weeks ago, has received two game balls from Taylor in two games for his impact on special teams. Williams' highlight on Sunday was a 43-yard punt return that set up a touchdown in the third quarter.

Back in November, when Cam Taylor-Britt suffered a season-ending foot injury, there was a prime opportunity for reserve cornerback Josh Newton to prove that he could be a starter in the NFL. But Newton wasn't able to hold onto his starting spot, and then he missed Sunday's game with a hamstring injury that popped up on Friday.

Injuries

Right tackle Amarius Mims was out of the game for a few drives with a shin injury, but he returned.

Key numbers

11: The number of Bengals who caught passes on Sunday against the Cardinals

What's next

Cincinnati closes out the season at home with a rivalry game against the 4-12 Browns. Cleveland is coming off a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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