The Cincinnati Bengals’ defense was a mess last year, giving up a brutal 28.9 points a game, which landed them at a dismal 30th in the entire NFL. Fast forward to 2026, and through just five games, that same defense is allowing only 21.8 points per game, rocketing them up to 11th in the league. That’s a massive turnaround, and while some credit goes to new blood, a huge chunk of it is from returning players who have absolutely stepped up their game.
Defense Making Waves: The Returners Who Are Balling Out
You wanna talk about improvement? Let’s start with the guys on defense. **Barrett Carter**, the linebacker, is playing like a completely different beast. In 17 games last year, he had 106 tackles, zero sacks, and one tackle for loss. This season, in just five games, he’s already racked up 41 tackles, 1.5 sacks, four tackles for loss, and even forced a fumble. That’s four times his entire TFL total from last season in less than a third of the games! He’s legit playing like a three-down linebacker now, and you can feel the difference.
Then there’s **Dax Hill** at cornerback. Last year, he had one interception and 11 passes defensed across 17 games. This year, in only five games, he already has five passes defensed and a forced fumble. He’s on pace for an insane 17 passes defensed for the season! The coaches aren’t wrong when they say he “can do whatever you ask,” especially with the secondary getting banged up. He’s been clutch. And don’t sleep on **Kris Jenkins**, the defensive tackle. He snagged 1.5 sacks in 14 games last year. Now? He’s got two sacks in five games, coming in as part of that defensive line rotation behind Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen. That’s efficiency right there!
Momentum Swings and Red Zone Threat: Offense Gets Its Due
It’s not just the defense getting all the shine. On the offensive side, **Mike Gesicki** is quietly having a monster start at tight end. Last season, he put up 28 catches, 307 yards, and two touchdowns in 13 games. This year, in just five games, he already has 12 catches for 159 yards and, get this, **four touchdowns**. He’s already doubled his touchdown total from last year, proving he’s a serious red zone threat!
And back on defense, **Jordan Battle** at safety is a turnover machine. He had four interceptions in all of 2025, and he’s already got three this season. Sure, he might still have a few tackling issues, but those turnovers are massive momentum-swings that change games. Plus, **Demetrius Knight** has elevated his game at linebacker, boasting an 81.2 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus, ranking him sixth among all linebackers. That’s a huge jump from his 106 tackles, three sacks, and two interceptions last year.
This bye week is a perfect time to celebrate these guys who’ve taken huge leaps. But it also makes you wonder: who was supposed to explode this year but just hasn’t yet? Are we still waiting on guys like Shemar Stewart or Myles Murphy to make their move? These early season improvements are critical, and if these guys keep trending up, this team is gonna be a problem for the rest of the league.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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