The Detroit Lions are riding high with three consecutive victories after dropping their opener to Green Bay, but quarterback Jared Goff is making sure no one in the locker room is looking past the Cincinnati Bengals.
Oddsmakers may favor Detroit heavily heading into Sunday’s matchup, yet Goff insists the team won’t underestimate Cincinnati, even after the Bengals’ two lopsided defeats by a combined 76-13 margin.
“These guys aren’t close to being a bad football team,” Goff said. “They’ve got real talent, especially on defense. We’ve got to be sharp, and there’s no way we can take them lightly.”
Cincinnati has stumbled since Joe Burrow went down with a toe injury in Week 2. Without their star quarterback, the Bengals endured the worst loss in franchise history — a 48-10 blowout at Minnesota — and followed it up with a 28-3 defeat in Denver.
Backup Jake Browning has struggled to fill the void, tossing five interceptions in just two starts. The Bengals’ offense has averaged a league-worst 4.1 plays per drive and has gone three-and-out more than half the time, leaving the defense exhausted after spending over 34 minutes per game on the field.
“We just need to be smarter with our decisions and stay ahead of the chains,” Browning admitted. “It’s about knowing when to take chances and when to keep drives alive with short completions.”
Star receiver Ja’Marr Chase has also had a quiet start. His only breakout came in Week 2 against Jacksonville, when he hauled in 14 catches for 165 yards and a touchdown. In the other three games combined, he’s managed only 99 yards. Chase’s 264 yards so far mark the lowest four-game total of his career.
Offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher still believes the offense runs through him. “We could throw it to Ja’Marr 20 times and it wouldn’t feel like enough,” Pitcher said. “He’s that competitive, that important to what we do.”
Defensively, Cincinnati has been gashed on the ground, surrendering over 300 rushing yards due to missed tackles in just two weeks. That’s a troubling sign with Detroit’s backfield duo of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs up next.
“Play with leverage, hold your gap, and keep the ball inside,” defensive coordinator Al Golden emphasized when asked about stopping Detroit’s run game.
Meanwhile, wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown continues to put his name alongside NFL greats. Assistant coach Scottie Montgomery compared his relentless mindset to legends Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, calling him “a throwback player in a modern game.”
Through four weeks, St. Brown has racked up 27 catches for 307 yards and six touchdowns — becoming the first player since Randy Moss in 2007 to hit those marks so early in a season. Since being drafted in 2021, he leads the league with 457 receptions.
“He’s been steady since midway through his rookie year,” head coach Dan Campbell said. “Nobody has matched his consistency.”
Another key stat for Detroit: the Lions haven’t allowed a sack in three straight games, a franchise first since sacks became official in 1982.
“It’s a group effort,” center Graham Glasgow explained. “Jared’s getting the ball out fast, our receivers are separating, and our backs and tight ends are helping in protection. Everyone’s doing their part.”
