After a 5-2 start, the Cincinnati Bengals travel to Madrid, Spain to face the 3-5 Atlanta Falcons. Both teams will be looking to celebrate during their long flights home, and while the Bengals are favored by three points the Falcons will be getting what they hope is a defensive boost.
The Falcons, who have 18 sacks on the season, will be welcoming back 2025 first-round pick James Pearce Jr., who was serving an eight-game suspension for a domestic violence arrest in February. Head coach Kevin Stefanski,
however, has said he’s not sure how much Pearce will play in his first game of the 2026 season.
Amarius Mims is having a breakout season, but Orlando Brown Jr. has struggled at times at left tackle. Hopefully they’re both up for the possible challenge from a team that hasn’t been terrible when it comes to rushing the passer.
Here’s what else is going on:
Bengals In Spain: Week of Events Leading Up to 2026 Madrid Game Set
The Bengals board their plane to Madrid this evening ahead of Sunday’s game in Spain against the Atlanta Falcons. As Who Dey Nation prepares their travel plans, let’s take a look at some of the Bengals-specific and NFL events planned for the week leading into the game.
3 cornerback trades the Bengals should explore after DJ Turner II’s injury scare exposes deeper problem
Woolen might be the best overall cornerback on the trade market this year. He helped the Seattle Seahawks win the Super Bowl last season and signed a one-year, $12 million deal with the Eagles over the offseason.
Bengals Lose ‘Skyscraping’ Converted Quarterback to AFC Rival
“Freeland has an impressive athletic background for his size and is still figuring out how to unlock his natural gifts. However, he is raw as he struggles to sustain blocks or drop his pad level to strengthen his base, often leaving him on the ground,” Brugler wrote in 2023.
Trio brought in to replace All-Pro DE has shined for Bengals
The Bengals chose to spend a little bit differently. Between trading for Lawrence and giving him a one-year extension and signing Allen (two years, $25 million) and Mafe (three years, $60 million), the Bengals signed contracts worth $155 million. Including the offsetting costs of trading the No. 10 pick, Cincinnati inked a net difference of $10.2 million to add three players versus how much Baltimore pledged to Hendrickson.
