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Chase Brown Makes Bold Claim About Bengals Defense Before Season
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. One of the Cincinnati Bengals ' biggest weaknesses last season was clearly their defense, as the team ranked second-to-last in the NFL in yards allowed per game, which impacted their chances of winning games.
With training camp underway, running back Chase Brown is getting a good look at the Bengals' defense ahead of this coming season and dropped a bold statement about what to expect.
"They're a really good defense, man. They've been doing a really good job this training camp, bro. Just like with [Dexter Lawrence], and [Boye Mafe], and [Bryan Cook], and all of our returning starters from the year before. That's an experienced group," Brown told NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe and Marc Ross at camp.
"To see what they're doing this year. The amount of havoc they're causing up front, the amount of pressure they're putting on Joe [Burrow]. I feel comfortable saying this: that's a top 10, top five defense," he stated, adding, "They look really good, man. Just everything that they're doing."
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Brown called it "encouraging" and "really good to see" how the defensive players are communicating and interacting with one another during the Bengals' training camp.
This offseason, Cincinnati made significant moves to upgrade its defense. That included landing Pro Bowl nose tackle Dexter Lawrence from the New York Giants in a trade and signing defensive end Boye Mafe to a three-year, $60 million contract fresh off his Super Bowl win with the Seattle Seahawks.
The Bengals also signed safety Bryan Cook to a three-year, $40.25 million contract after he spent four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and won two Super Bowl rings.
Their NFL Draft didn't feature any first-round picks, but Cincinnati selected Texas A&M defensive end Cashius Howell in the second round, followed by Washington cornerback Tacario Davis in the third round. Based on the team's depth chart, both should help with the defense in the coming season.
The Bengals allowed 380.9 yards per game last season, with only the Washington Commanders allowing more. Along with that, Cincinnati allowed opponents to score an average of 28.9 points per game against them, with only the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys allowing more.
Based on Brown's remarks ahead of the season, the team's moves have given the Bengals a much-improved defense, but regular-season games will show if Cincinnati ranks in the top 10. They'll have their season opener when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Sept. 13.
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