(Editor's note: Special thanks to Jim Manley of Shaker Heights, Ohio, for suggesting this column in a letter he sent me. Manley, 73, is a die-hard Bengals fan who lived in Cincinnati for 34 years before moving to the Cleveland area.)
It feels really good to be a Bengals fan right now. Maybe too good.
The Bengals are 2-0, and a franchise notorious for stumbling out of the gate suddenly looks like it remembered September counts. The revamped defense has made every offseason dollar spent fixing it look worthwhile so far.
People outside Cincinnati have noticed, too. The Bengals are back in the conversation as legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
Enjoy it.
Because Bengals fans know how quickly Bob Marley playing in a victorious locker room can turn into
Boyz II Men’s “End of the Road.”
The good vibes are back
Injuries and miserable starts have dug holes for Cincinnati in recent seasons. But another demon has been hanging around even longer: the AFC North.
That’s why Sunday’s trip to Pittsburgh matters more than your typical Week 3 game.
Players and coaches love telling us division games mean more. They’re right. The most straightforward path to the playoffs begins with winning your division.
We’ve seen what happens when Cincinnati does.
The Bengals won the AFC North in 2021 and went to the Super Bowl. They won it again in 2022 and returned to the AFC Championship Game.
Those remain the only two division titles of the Joe Burrow era.
The AFC North remains Cincinnati’s bugaboo
Here is the number that bothers me:
Burrow is 12-16 as a starter against Baltimore, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. That's not a typo.
It’s especially strange because Cincinnati wins plenty when Burrow ventures outside the neighborhood. He’s 31-17-1 against everyone else − a .643 winning percentage.
And don’t pin the divisional struggles entirely on him.
In those 28 AFC North starts, Burrow has thrown 57 touchdown passes against 23 interceptions, completed 66% of his passes and produced a 95.3 passer rating.
The Bengals haven’t been any better in the division without him. During the Burrow era, Cincinnati is 3-4 in AFC North games he didn’t start, making the Bengals 15-20 overall against the division through 2025. In other words, this isn’t simply a Joe Burrow problem.
But Pittsburgh is interesting.
Burrow has thrown 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions against the Steelers. Compare that with 19 touchdowns and six interceptions against Cleveland and 23 touchdowns and seven interceptions against Baltimore. Pittsburgh has forced Burrow into mistakes at a rate the other division rivals haven’t.
Still, Burrow is 4-3 against the Steelers.
Protecting Burrow remains the uncomfortable question
There’s another number that helps explain Cincinnati’s AFC North struggles.
Eighty-three.
That’s how many times Burrow has been sacked in his 28 divisional starts − nearly three times per game. Hardly surprising when you consider the murderer’s row of pass rushers Cincinnati has faced twice a season during Burrow’s career: Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt, Cleveland’s Myles Garrett and Baltimore’s assortment of blitzers and edge rushers, which now includes former Bengals defensive end, Trey Hendrickson.
Now Watt is waiting again Sunday. That’s worrisome after what happened last week in Houston.
Burrow was sacked five times and officially hit 10 times against the Texans. He survived it, throwing two touchdowns without an interception in a 20-6 victory. But "Burrow survived it" can’t be Cincinnati’s offensive philosophy.
Not with its franchise quarterback. Not against the AFC North. And certainly not against Watt, who has terrorized Cincinnati throughout his career.
The offensive line has to be better. And it will need some help from Burrow and head coach Zac Taylor. That could mean getting the ball out faster, leaning on the running game, moving the pocket, or giving tackles more help when necessary.
We’ve seen too many seasons altered by Burrow getting hit.
A better defense could change everything
The encouraging part is that Cincinnati may finally have a defense capable of helping him.
Remember 2024, when Burrow and the offense scored 72 combined points against Baltimore — and lost both games by a combined four points? That’s why the rebuilt defense matters. So far this season, Burrow hasn't had to be Superman for the Bengals to win. In fact, the defense has been leading the charge while the offense smooths out the kinks.
And now comes Pittsburgh.
The Steelers might be the Bengals’ most hated rival. They’re certainly mine.
Go take the North
Beat Pittsburgh on its field Sunday, and you’re not just 3-0. You’re 1-0 in the AFC North.
You’re putting Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Cleveland on notice that this season will be different. You’re beginning to seize control of the division instead of spending November and December trying to chase it.
And there’s some symmetry here.
Five years ago, the Bengals went to Pittsburgh in Week 3 and won 24-10. It was Burrow’s first career road victory and Cincinnati’s first win over Pittsburgh of the Burrow era. The Steelers didn’t sack him once. That victory helped launch a season that ended with an AFC North championship and a trip to the Super Bowl.
The Bengals have already slain a few early-season demons this year. They haven’t stumbled out of the gate. The defense isn’t immediately putting Burrow in shootouts where 30 points feels like the price of admission. Burrow is healthy.
Now comes maybe the biggest demon of them all: the AFC North.
Protect Burrow. Beat the Steelers.
Then crank Bob Marley back up.
Opinion and Engagement Editor Kevin S. Aldridge is a die-hard Bengals fan and can be reached at kaldridge@enquirer.com. On X: @kevaldrid.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: AFC North has been the Bengals' kryptonite in the Burrow era | Opinion
