2025
2025 season · Weeks 1 to 22 · 6-11
Bengals defense
Every snap the Bengals defended, what it cost them and how they got there: the league ranks the player pages quote, where offenses find room, how this defense plays, and who plays in it.
- How good+0.13 EPA a play allowed, 29th of 32, and 0.12 above what the offenses they faced usually manage (29th).
- How they playThey blitz on 21% of dropbacks, the 31st-most in the league, and get pressure on 20%.
- Where offenses find roomOn the ground: 5.2 a carry, 31st, and runs outside left gain 8.3 a carry.
- Who hurt themColston Loveland (CHI): 118 yards and +11.4 EPA on 7 touches, the most anyone has managed against them.
How good is itthe defense against the league, and game by game
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPA per playevery snap | +0.13 | 29th of 32 | 11th | |
| Pass EPAper dropback | +0.18 | 28th of 32 | 14th | |
| Rush EPAper designed run | +0.06 | 31st of 32 | 5th | |
| Success rateplays that gain enough | 48% | 28th of 32 | 14th | |
| Explosive rate20+ pass, 10+ run | 12% | 30th of 32 | 8th | |
| Yards per play | 6.3 | 32nd of 32 | 2nd | |
| Yards per carry | 5.2 | 31st of 32 | 5th | |
| Third downsconverted against them | 44% | 27th of 32 | 17th |
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sack rateper dropback | 5.8% | 24th of 32 | 27th | |
| Pressure rateper dropback, PFR | 20% | 26th of 32 | 20th | |
| QB hit rateper dropback | 13% | 27th of 32 | 17th | |
| INT rateper dropback | 2.1% | 11th of 32 | 67th | |
| Red-zone TD ratetrips ending in a touchdown | 63% | 25th of 32 | 23rd | |
| Points per drivetouchdown 7, field goal 3 | 2.34 | 26th of 32 | 20th | |
| Takeawaysper game | 1.2 | 14th of 32 | 58th | |
| EPA against expectationallowed minus the offenses' usual | +0.12 | 29th of 32 | 11th |
Each bar is the league's 32 defenses; the marker is the Bengals. Right is better for the defense, so a low EPA allowed sits right. The pressure rate is PFR's pressures (hurries, hits and sacks) per dropback. EPA against expectation compares each game with what that offense averaged in its other games, so a strong schedule is not held against them.
They held 4 of 17 offenses below their usual EPA a play. The biggest stop: Week 13 against the Ravens, 0.40 a play under their norm. The offenses they have faced average 0.00 a play elsewhere, the 22nd-toughest schedule of offenses.
at CLEW 17-16-0.05usual -0.20
vs JAXW 31-27+0.09usual +0.03
at MINL 10-48+0.12usual -0.13
at DENL 3-28+0.22usual +0.03
vs DETL 24-37+0.23usual +0.07
at GBL 18-27+0.21usual +0.11
vs PITW 33-31+0.36usual +0.01
vs NYJL 38-39+0.32usual -0.16
vs CHIL 42-47+0.47usual +0.05at PITL 12-34+0.20usual +0.02
vs NEL 20-26+0.00usual +0.17
at BALW 32-14-0.34usual +0.06
at BUFL 34-39+0.24usual +0.14vs BALL 0-24+0.21usual +0.03
at MIAW 45-21-0.06usual -0.01
vs ARIW 37-14-0.05usual -0.02vs CLEL 18-20-0.13usual -0.19Where offenses find roomthe field, the run lanes, the positions and the situations
The soft spot is behind the line middle: +0.25 EPA a throw against a league -0.34. The lockdown zone is intermediate middle, +0.18 a throw (league +0.59). Completions against them run 0.9 points over expected, 17th-best in the league.
Every pass they faced with a charted air distance and side, sacks excluded. Green is a zone where they allow less than the league, red more. How often shows the share of throws against them there.
Offenses run for 5.2 yards a carry against them, 31st of 32. The leak is outside left: 8.3 a carry and +0.40 EPA (league 5.0, +0.01).
| Position | Targets a game | Yards a game | EPA per target | Fantasy points allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide receivers | 14.21st | 116.53rd | +0.2318th-toughest | 16.78th-fewest21.02nd-fewest25.32nd-fewest |
| Tight ends | 9.732nd | 84.932nd | +0.4429th-toughest | 14.01st-most17.51st-most20.91st-most |
| Backs, receiving | 6.027th | 42.929th | +0.3530th-toughest | 23.82nd-most26.22nd-most28.61st-most |
| Quarterbacks | – | – | – | 18.37th-most18.47th-most18.47th-most |
Who hurt them most
| Player | Team | Touches | Yards | TD | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colston Loveland | CHI | 7 | 118 | 2 | +11.4 |
| Pat Freiermuth | PIT | 7 | 130 | 2 | +11.2 |
| Courtland Sutton | DEN | 6 | 81 | 1 | +10.7 |
| Derrick Henry | BAL | 22 | 204 | 1 | +9.1 |
| Kyle Monangai | CHI | 31 | 198 | +9.0 | |
| Kenneth Gainwell | PIT | 22 | 120 | 2 | +8.7 |
Targets, yards and EPA per target by the receiver's position, ranked 1st for the toughest defense: the same numbers a receiver's This week panel quotes against this defense. Fantasy points allowed follow the scoring switch. Who hurt them ranks every opposing player by EPA on his targets and carries against this defense.
Their biggest third-down edge is third-and-short (1 to 3): offenses convert 55% against a league 60%. They are stingiest in the two-minute drill (+0.06 a play, league +0.03) and weakest in games they lead (+0.15, league -0.01).
| Situation | Plays | Allowed | League | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st down | 461 | +0.12 | +0.01 | +0.11 |
| 2nd down | 341 | +0.15 | +0.02 | +0.13 |
| 3rd down | 202 | +0.02 | -0.05 | +0.08 |
| 3rd and 1 to 3 | 62 | 55% | 60% | −5 pts |
| 3rd and 4 to 6 | 54 | 54% | 44% | +10 pts |
| 3rd and 7+ | 86 | 30% | 26% | +4 pts |
| Red zone | 184 | +0.12 | 0.00 | +0.12 |
| Two-minute drill | 130 | +0.06 | +0.03 | +0.03 |
| When they lead | 448 | +0.15 | -0.01 | +0.16 |
| One-score game | 655 | +0.11 | +0.02 | +0.09 |
| When they trail by 9+ | 162 | +0.15 | +0.04 | +0.11 |
EPA a play allowed, or for third downs the share converted (a first down or a touchdown). Green is better than the league for the defense. Score states are from the defense's side.
How they playpressure, the box, what offenses try, discipline
One of the least aggressive defenses in football. They send extra rushers on 21% of dropbacks and average 4.2 rushers; 82% of dropbacks see four or fewer. They allow +0.26 EPA when they blitz and +0.16 when they do not.
They put 6.4 defenders in the box on runs, eight or more on 7%. Into a light box (six or fewer) runs gain 5.6 a carry; into eight or more, 4.5.
Offenses throw more than usual against them: 1 points over their expected pass rate on early downs in a neutral game. Play action gains +0.30 EPA against them on 27% of throws; screens +0.04.
32 defensive penalties for 256 yards, 22 of them first downs, the 1st-fewest. They miss 15% of tackle attempts by PFR's count, 32nd-best.
The defenderswho plays, and what each one has done
Joseph Ossai leads the pass rush with 20 pressures and 5 sacks on 55% of the snaps.
| Player | Snaps | Pressures | Sacks | QB hits | TFL | Tackles | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99Myles MurphyDE | 64% | 17 | 5.5 | 10 | 6 | 51 | |
| 92B.J. HillDE | 61% | 12 | 4 | 9 | 5 | 66 | |
| 58Joseph OssaiDE | 55% | 20 | 5 | 12 | 9 | 41 | 2 |
| 98Tedarrell SlatonDT | 54% | 8 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 51 | |
| 90Kris JenkinsDT | 45% | 4 | 1.5 | 3 | 2 | 36 | |
| 97Shemar StewartDE | 25% | 6 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 11 | |
| 91Trey HendricksonLB | 24% | 12 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 16 | 1 |
| 96Cameron SampleDE | 23% | 8 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 17 | 1 |
| 52Cedric JohnsonDE | 20% | 12 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 19 | |
| 93McKinnley JacksonDT | 13% | 1 | 7 |
Barrett Carter plays 75% of the snaps with 104 tackles.
| Player | Snaps | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | Pressures | Targets | Rating allowed | Missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49Barrett CarterLB | 75% | 104 | 1 | 2 | 66 | 106.4 | 17 | |
| 44Demetrius Knight Jr.LB | 73% | 103 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 45 | 90.1 | 15 |
| 42Oren BurksILB | 32% | 48 | 1 | 20 | 101.0 | 10 | ||
| 55Logan WilsonLB | 31% | 45 | 1 | 27 | 112.7 | 7 | ||
| 50Shaka HeywardLB | 4% | 16 | 1 | 1 | 39.6 | |||
| 43Joe Giles-HarrisLB | 3% | 27 | 7 | 63.1 |
Jalen Davis is the hardest to complete a pass against: a 75.6 passer rating on 16 targets.
| Player | Snaps | Targets | Catches allowed | Yards | TD | Rating allowed | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27Jordan BattleSAF | 96% | 47 | 31 of 47 | 593 | 2 | 86.2 | 4 | 6 |
| 22Geno StoneSAF | 93% | 43 | 30 of 43 | 431 | 4 | 97.1 | 2 | 4 |
| 23Daxton HillDB | 93% | 79 | 51 of 79 | 499 | 3 | 86.8 | 1 | 11 |
| 20DJ Turner IICB | 89% | 68 | 35 of 68 | 460 | 4 | 84.5 | 2 | 18 |
| 29Cam Taylor-BrittCB | 29% | 29 | 19 of 29 | 241 | 4 | 110.7 | 5 | |
| 35Jalen DavisCB | 27% | 16 | 11 of 16 | 107 | 75.6 | 1 | 1 | |
| 28Josh NewtonCB | 25% | 23 | 13 of 23 | 167 | 2 | 82.0 | 3 | |
| 38D.J. IveyCB | 12% | 12 | 7 of 12 | 101 | 88.4 | 3 | ||
| 26Tycen AndersonSAF | 6% | 4 | 3 of 4 | 39 | 1 | 98.4 | 1 |
Tackles, sacks, QB hits, TFL, interceptions, passes defended and forced fumbles are nflverse's weekly stats; pressures, targets, catches and yards allowed, passer rating allowed and missed tackles are PFR's charting. Snap share is the season average of defensive snaps.