DOWN X DOWN › week 9 › Bengals at Falcons
Updated Nov 3, 7:02 AM ET
2026
2026this season2025final

Week 9 · Sunday 9:30 AM ET · Bernabeu

ATLvsCIN

Falcons offensevsBengals defense

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

CIN offenseATL offense
Keys to the game · where this matchup tilts, from the season numbers4 reads
01
Biggest edge

Ground game edge

Falcons average 4.7 yards per carry (5th). Bengals allow 4.4 (23rd).

02
Opportunity

Deep middle is open

Bengals are worst against deep middle throws, allowing +0.84 EPA per attempt. Falcons send 3% of their throws there. That is a small part of their offense so far.

03
Watch out

Passing lanes are closed

Falcons gain -0.18 EPA per dropback (29th). Bengals allow -0.01 (12th).

04
Wash

Success rate

Call this one even. Falcons succeed on 43% of plays (15th) against a defense that allows 44% (17th).

Players to watch

CIN Bengals

9Joe BurrowQB · 195/267 · 2115 yds · 20 TD · 6 INTEPA per dropback +0.24 · 7th30Chase BrownRB · 94 car · 340 yds · 1 TD · 36 recEPA per touch -0.211Ja'Marr ChaseWR · 43 rec · 492 yds · 6 TD · 61 tgtEPA per target +0.46 · 24th5Tee HigginsWR · 43 rec · 726 yds · 4 TD · 61 tgtEPA per target +0.85 · 3rd53Boye MafeLeft Defensive End · 18 tackles · 5.5 sacks · 1 PD5.5 sacks · T-9th in the NFL27Jordan BattleStrong Safety · 49 tackles · 3 INT · 6 PD3 INT · T-2nd in the NFL

ATL Falcons

9Michael Penix Jr.QB · 104/168 · 1282 yds · 9 TD · 5 INTEPA per dropback +0.02 · 21st7Bijan RobinsonRB · 150 car · 780 yds · 5 TD · 25 recEPA per touch -0.075Drake LondonWR · 39 rec · 624 yds · 1 TD · 62 tgtEPA per target +0.408Kyle PittsTE · 22 rec · 197 yds · 4 TD · 32 tgtEPA per target +0.0653Kendal DanielsLeft Inside Linebacker · 52 tackles · 1 sack · 1 INT · 2 PD1 INT26C.J. HendersonRight Cornerback · 39 tackles · 8 PD8 passes defended · T-7th in the NFL
The series · Bengals and Falcons since 1999, and this season's records6 meetings

The series is even at 3–3 since 1999 (they first met in 2002). The Bengals have won the last 3. Oct 23, 2022, at Paycor Stadium: the Bengals won 35–17. Joe Burrow started at quarterback for the Bengals and Marcus Mariota for the Falcons; Zac Taylor and Arthur Smith coached.

Bengals at home2–1the Bengals' record
In Atlanta1–2the Bengals' record
Most pointsBengals 37 · Falcons 392018 · 2010
Biggest winBengals by 18 · Falcons by 272022 · 2002

The last 5

2022 · Wk 7ATL 17 at CIN 35
2018 · Wk 4CIN 37 at ATL 36
2014 · Wk 2ATL 10 at CIN 24
2010 · Wk 7CIN 32 at ATL 39
2006 · Wk 8ATL 29 at CIN 27

2026 records

BengalsFalcons
Overall5–23–5
Division1–11–2
Conference4–23–3
Other conference1–00–2
Home2–11–3
Away3–12–2
Last 5LLWWWWLLWL
StreakWon 3Lost 1
Points a game29.4 – 22.621.4 – 23.6

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 Bengals' side. Records are this regular season.

The lineups · Falcons offense against the Bengals defenseDepth charts
Bengals defense · 4-3 DFalcons offense · 3WR 1TE70Matthews65Bergeron64Neuzil63Lindstrom71Taylor8Pitts9Penix7Robinson5London14Zaccheaus4Dotson99Murphy93Allen97Lawrence53Mafe44Knight49Carter42Burks0Turner20Davis23Hill27Battle6Cook

Falcons offense · 3WR 1TE

  • QBMichael Penix Jr.#9 · 104/168 · 1282 yds · 9 TD · 5 INT
  • RBBijan Robinson#7 · 150 car · 780 yds · 5 TD · 25 rec
  • WRDrake London#5 · 39 rec · 624 yds · 1 TD · 62 tgt
  • WRJahan Dotson#4 · 14 rec · 337 yds · 2 TD · 30 tgt
  • WROlamide Zaccheaus#14 · 5 rec · 21 yds · 0 TD · 13 tgt
  • TEKyle Pitts Sr.#8 · 22 rec · 197 yds · 4 TD · 32 tgt
  • LTJake Matthews#70
  • LGMatthew Bergeron#65
  • CRyan Neuzil#64
  • RGChris Lindstrom#63
  • RTJawaan Taylor#71

Bengals defense · Base 4-3 D

  • RDEMyles Murphy#99 · 14 tackles · 1.5 sacks
  • RDTJonathan Allen#93 · 17 tackles · 3 sacks · 1 PD
  • LDTDexter Lawrence II#97 · 23 tackles · 5 sacks · 1 PD
  • LDEBoye Mafe#53 · 18 tackles · 5.5 sacks · 1 PD
  • WLBDemetrius Knight Jr.#44 · 54 tackles · 1 INT · 1 PD
  • MLBBarrett Carter#49 · 57 tackles · 1.5 sacks · 3 PD
  • SLBOren Burks#42 · 13 tackles
  • RCBDJ Turner II#0 · 17 tackles · 5 PD
  • LCBTacario Davis#20 · 13 tackles · 1 PD
  • NBDax Hill#23 · 35 tackles · 5 PD
  • SSJordan Battle#27 · 49 tackles · 3 INT · 6 PD
  • FSBryan Cook#6 · 31 tackles · 0.5 sacks

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 · ATL offense against CIN defense
StatATL ATL offFavors ATL · Favors CINCIN CIN def allowsNFL avg
Overall
EPA per play
-0.10#29
-0.01#15+0.00
Success rate
43%#15
44%#1744%
Yards per play
5.6#13
5.8#255.4
Explosive play rate
9%#16
11%#299%
Passing
Pass EPA per dropback
-0.18#29
-0.01#12+0.03
Sack rate
7%#19
9%#37%
Running
Run EPA per carry
-0.02#9
-0.08#18-0.08
Yards per carry
4.7#5
4.4#234.1
Money downs
3rd down conversion
35%#29
48%#2941%
Red zone TD rate
64%#14
42%#361%
Targets by position
WR yards per game
133#21
142#15147
TE yards per game
37#26
89#3155
TE targets per game
6.5#25
9.6#307.6
RB receiving yards per game
30#18
30#1232
Where the ball goes · EPA per throwDeep is 15+ air yds

Falcons: EPA per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+1.227% of throws
-0.333% of throws
+0.387% of throws
Short
+0.1335% of throws
-0.5216% of throws
-0.3732% of throws

Bengals: EPA allowed per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
-0.0114 throws
+0.8411 throws
-0.3018 throws
Short
+0.3262 throws
+0.2951 throws
+0.1582 throws

Green gains more than expected, red loses value. Cells with fewer than 5 throws are grayed out.