DOWN X DOWN › week 12 › Saints at Bengals

Updated Nov 3, 9:16 AM ET

2026

Week 12 · Sunday 1:00 PM ET · Paycor Stadium

Bengals offensevsSaints defense

Season numbers through Week 8: 7 games for Bengals, 7 for Saints. Ranks are out of 32; #1 is the best offense or the stingiest defense.

NO offense CIN offense

Keys to the game · where this matchup tilts, from the season numbers4 reads

Biggest edge

Third downs favor Bengals

Bengals convert 55% of third downs (1st). Saints allow 51% (30th).

Opportunity

Deep left is open

Saints are worst against deep left throws, allowing +1.21 EPA per attempt. Bengals send 3% of their throws there. That is a small part of their offense so far.

Watch out

Pressure problem

Bengals take a sack on 5% of dropbacks (8th). Saints get home on 7% (11th). League average is 7%.

Wash

Explosive play rate

Call this one even. Bengals create explosive plays on 9% of snaps (21st). Saints give them up at 11% (28th).

Players to watch

Saints

Tyler ShoughQB · 183/273 · 1721 yds · 13 TD · 6 INTEPA per dropback +0.02 · 20th

Alvin KamaraRB · 41 car · 125 yds · 3 TD · 22 recEPA per touch -0.10

Chris OlaveWR · 49 rec · 636 yds · 2 TD · 71 tgtEPA per target +0.53 · 18th

Devaughn VeleWR · 33 rec · 348 yds · 3 TD · 48 tgtEPA per target +0.46 · 25thChase YoungStrongside Linebacker · 14 tackles · 7 sacks · 3 PD7 sacks · T-3rd in the NFLCarl GrandersonWeakside Linebacker · 25 tackles · 5.5 sacks5.5 sacks · T-9th in the NFL

Bengals

Joe BurrowQB · 195/267 · 2115 yds · 20 TD · 6 INTEPA per dropback +0.24 · 7th

Chase BrownRB · 94 car · 340 yds · 1 TD · 36 recEPA per touch -0.21

Ja'Marr ChaseWR · 43 rec · 492 yds · 6 TD · 61 tgtEPA per target +0.46 · 24th

Tee HigginsWR · 43 rec · 726 yds · 4 TD · 61 tgtEPA per target +0.85 · 3rdBoye MafeLeft Defensive End · 18 tackles · 5.5 sacks · 1 PD5.5 sacks · T-9th in the NFLJordan BattleStrong Safety · 49 tackles · 3 INT · 6 PD3 INT · T-2nd in the NFL

The series · Saints and Bengals since 1999, and this season's records6 meetings

The Bengals lead the series 4–2 since 1999 (they first met in 2002). Oct 16, 2022, at Mercedes-Benz Superdome: the Bengals won 30–26. Andy Dalton started at quarterback for the Saints and Joe Burrow for the Bengals; Dennis Allen and Zac Taylor coached.

Saints at home0–3the Saints' record

In Cincinnati2–1the Saints' record

Most pointsSaints 51 · Bengals 312018 · 2006

Biggest winSaints by 37 · Bengals by 172018 · 2014

The last 5

2022 · Wk 6	CIN 30 at NO 26
2018 · Wk 10	NO 51 at CIN 14
2014 · Wk 11	CIN 27 at NO 10
2010 · Wk 13	NO 34 at CIN 30
2006 · Wk 11	CIN 31 at NO 16

2026 records

	Saints	Bengals
Overall	2–5	5–2
Division	0–1	1–1
Conference	1–3	4–2
Other conference	1–2	1–0
Home	0–4	2–1
Away	2–1	3–1
Last 5	LLLWL	LLWWW
Streak	Lost 1	Won 3
Points a game	23.1 – 27.7	29.4 – 22.6

Every meeting since 1999, regular season and playoffs, from nflverse's game list, which starts in 1999; the all-time series goes back further. Franchises that moved count as one team (the Raiders, Chargers and Rams). Home and away are from the Saints' side. Records are this regular season.

The lineups · Bengals offense against the Saints defenseDepth charts

Saints defense · 3-4 DBengals offense · 3WR 1TE75Brown63Fairchild64Karras66Risner71Mims88Gesicki 9Burrow 30Brown 1Chase 81Meyers 5Higgins91Broughton93Shepherd94Jordan96Granderson99Young20Werner55Elliss22Emerson1McKinstry7Sanker21Reid23Blackmon

Bengals offense · 3WR 1TE

QBJoe Burrow#9 · 195/267 · 2115 yds · 20 TD · 6 INT
RBChase Brown#30 · 94 car · 340 yds · 1 TD · 36 rec
WRJa'Marr Chase#1 · 43 rec · 492 yds · 6 TD · 61 tgt
WRTee Higgins#5 · 43 rec · 726 yds · 4 TD · 61 tgt
WRDohnte Meyers#81 · 16 rec · 175 yds · 0 TD · 23 tgt
TEMike Gesicki#88 · 17 rec · 241 yds · 6 TD · 24 tgt
LTOrlando Brown Jr.#75
LGDylan Fairchild#63
CTed Karras#64
RGDalton Risner#66
RTAmarius Mims#71

Saints defense · Base 3-4 D

RDEVernon Broughton#91 · 14 tackles
NTNathan Shepherd#93 · 12 tackles · 0.5 sacks
LDECameron Jordan#94 · 13 tackles
WLBCarl Granderson#96 · 25 tackles · 5.5 sacks
SLBChase Young#99 · 14 tackles · 7 sacks · 3 PD
RILBPete Werner#20 · 53 tackles · 2 sacks · 2 PD
LILBKaden Elliss#55 · 29 tackles · 1 PD
RCBMartin Emerson Jr.#22 · 18 tackles · 2 INT · 4 PD
LCBKool-Aid McKinstry#1 · 23 tackles · 6 PD
NBJonas Sanker#7 · 44 tackles · 1 PD
SSJustin Reid#21 · 37 tackles
FSJulian Blackmon#23 · 36 tackles · 2 INT · 2 PD

Starters from each team's current depth chart (nflverse, from ESPN), drawn in the offense's base three-receiver set against the defense's base front. The nickel back, the extra defensive back most teams use against three receivers, is drawn lighter. Left and right are as the offense sees the field. The toggle at the top flips which offense is drawn.

Head to head · CIN offense against NO defense

Stat	CIN off	NO def allows	NFL avg
Overall
EPA per play	+0.12#5	+0.08#27	+0.00
Success rate	50%#2	49%#31	44%
Yards per play	6.0#6	6.0#28	5.4
Explosive play rate	9%#21	11%#28	9%
Passing
Pass EPA per dropback	+0.23#5	+0.09#23	+0.03
Sack rate	5%#8	7%#11	7%
Running
Run EPA per carry	-0.13#22	+0.04#31	-0.08
Yards per carry	3.7#26	4.8#30	4.1
Money downs
3rd down conversion	55%#1	51%#30	41%
Red zone TD rate	68%#9	60%#15	61%
Targets by position
WR yards per game	211#1	144#16	147
TE yards per game	54#17	68#27	55
TE targets per game	7.0#21	8.9#28	7.6
RB receiving yards per game	37#10	38#24	32

Where the ball goes · EPA per throwDeep is 15+ air yds

Bengals: EPA per throw

Left

Middle

Right

Deep

+1.003% of throws

+2.373% of throws

+0.8111% of throws

Short

+0.2429% of throws

+0.1418% of throws

+0.0836% of throws

Saints: EPA allowed per throw

Left

Middle

Right

Deep

+1.2117 throws

+0.5010 throws

+0.2516 throws