Bengals Offensive Infrastructure Narrowly Ranked Outside NFL's Top Tier

There's plenty left to desire from Burrow's protection unit this decade, but that whole group is coming back this fall and played much better down the stretch of last season than they ever had (5.3% sack rate allowed in 2025, 11th in the NFL).

Dubin graded each team out of five in four separate categories. Cincinnati got a 3.5 in play calling, a 3.5 for its offensive line, a five for its wide receivers, and a four for its running backs.

"Cincinnati's pass-catcher advantage is obviously buoyed by Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, whom we last week named our top wide receiver duo in the NFL," Dubin wrote. "The Chiefs and Bills lag here because they don't have true No. 1 options who can be relied on every week. (The Bills don't have one at all, and the Chiefs' option in Rashee Rice can't stay on the field for various reasons.) And all four teams sport very good running back rooms. Add it all up, and we come to a tie between more than two teams for the first time in these rankings."

Continuity was the story for the Bengals offense this offseason. They retained basically every key starter on that side of the ball, and Burrow has noted how healthy he feels this summer to add even more fuel to the exciting fire.

The big changes came on defense, led by team ownership voice Katie Blackburn, director of player personnel, Duke Tobin, and more.

"We plan to always add as many good pieces as we can," Tobin said after the 2026 NFL Draft. "The star of the show is Katie, and she was able to fit it all together. We're at the top of the league in spending. She makes that work. It really was exceptional, because we had opportunities come to us that we weren't expecting financially, and she was able to still make it work, which was sensational."

The Rams, Cowboys, Lions, and Bears were the only teams ranked higher than Cincinnati.

Check out the full piece from Dubin here.

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