Prisco's NFL Week 3 Power Rankings: Bengals catching fire behind revamped defense, Bills just behind Seahawks

Pete Prisco shares his latest Power Rankings of the 2026 NFL season, and let the debate begin

The same refrain has been heard a lot since Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow started lighting up NFL opponents: The Bengals are 2-0 after beating the Houston Texans on the road Sunday, but that game wasn't about the flashy passing game, although Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase made some special plays, but rather about a revamped defense. They limited the Texans offense all day in the 20-6 victory, doing so with a dominant defensive front that had four sacks and spent the day in the Texans backfield. It was just the third time that the Bengals have kept a team without a touchdown since coach Zac Taylor took over. That front also had a key fourth-down stop when defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence stopped running back David Montgomery on a fourth-and-1 at the Cincinnati 18 in the second quarter.

The Bengals traded a first-round pick for Lawrence this year, and so far, that move is paying off in a big way. They also added defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and pass rusher Boye Mafe to help that front. Young players like Shemar Stewart, Cedric Johnson — two sacks Sunday — and rookie Cashius Howell give them some real edge pop to go with those veterans. If the Bengals can be a top-15 defense, they have a real chance to be a Super Bowl