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Bengals’ Defensive Line Is Loaded, and Cedric Johnson Just Proved It
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- Bengals’ Defensive Line Is Loaded, and Cedric Johnson Just Proved It
(Thomas Shea IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters)
The Cincinnati Bengals did it again in week two, showcasing their much-improved defensive line and securing their second straight win to start the 2026 NFL season.
Dexter Lawrence made a big 4th-and-1 stop, showing the game-wrecking ability that made the Bengals comfortable spending a first-round pick on the interior defensive tackle. Jonathan Allen had a tackle for loss, and the group posted a shocking 41 pressures, making Texans quarterback CJ Stroud uncomfortable all day.
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However, someone far down the depth chart had a stellar day, showing the immense depth of the Bengals defensive line as a unit. Cedric Johnson posted five pressures, tying Jonathan Allen and Dexter Lawrence for third-most in Week 2. That trio trailed Cashius Howell, who had six, and Boye Mafe , who led the team with eight pressures.
Johnson is in his third year with the Bengals after being taken in the sixth round out of Ole Miss in the 2024 NFL Draft. He played in nine games in 2024 and 2025, totaling 27 tackles and three sacks. So far through 2026, Johnson has two sacks and five pressures on just 42 defensive snaps.
Johnson sacked Stroud to end the game this past Sunday in garbage time, chasing him backward as Stroud desperately tried to find a receiver. According to Joe Goodberry on X , Johnson had the highest pass-rush win rate of any Bengals player against the Texans at 26.3%.
Shemar Stewart told reporters on Monday that Johnson is playing "balls to the wall," and said Johnson didn't even know he had two sacks until he received a game ball in the postgame meeting.
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Having a pool of pass rushers who can have success like Johnson, and thereby give rest to guys like Boye Mafe, Cashius Howell, Shemar Stewart , and Myles Murphy , is likely why the Bengals have been able to sustain the elite level of pressure from snap one to the final snap of the game through two weeks.
The level of play across the entire defense has made many people rethink what the Bengals can be as a team this season. Former NFL quarterback Alex Smith went on ESPN Monday and said they went into Houston and dominated the Texans, the week after the Bills got a ton of flowers for narrowly winning a high-scoring game.
Smith also noted that Burrow has been uninspiring , and that when he really turns it on, they could be one of the most dangerous teams in the league.
