The Bengals Have A HUGE Test After Their Loss To Pittsburgh...

The Cincinnati Bengals are 2-1, but their response to the loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers could tell us a lot about what this team becomes in 2026. John Sheeran explains why the Bengals have a critical test ahead of Sunday's matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars — and why it goes far beyond simply trying to win the game. Cincinnati is going to lose games this season. That's inevitable in the NFL. The difference between this Bengals team and the Cincinnati teams that missed the playoffs during the previous three seasons may ultimately come down to how the team responds to those losses. The Bengals cannot allow avoidable mistakes to compound from one week to the next. That is exactly what happened against Pittsburgh. Two critical special teams mistakes helped give the Steelers 10 points, while Cincinnati's defense struggled to stop Pittsburgh's outside running game and the offense failed to finish its final opportunities. But the Bengals still had a chance to win. Now the question becomes: how does Cincinnati respond? John believes three players in particular will be critical to that response: Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen and Brian Cook. Lawrence has quickly become the Bengals' best defensive player and one of the most important leaders on the roster. He's been dominant against the run, productive as a pass rusher and vocal both on and off the field. Jonathan Allen has also provided exactly what Cincinnati hoped it would get when it added him to the defensive line. He's generating interior pressure and bringing veteran experience to a young defense. Bryan Cook was also playing well before suffering an ankle injury against Pittsburgh, and his presence gives Cincinnati another important veteran voice in the secondary. John explains why those players — along with veterans like Kyle Dugger and the rest of Cincinnati's new defensive additions — need to help make sure the Steelers loss doesn't turn into a larger problem. The Bengals' roster is not dramatically different from last year's team. The coaching staff isn't dramatically different either. So the Bengals are relying heavily on the new veteran additions to change how the team handles adversity. That challenge begins against Jacksonville. The Jaguars are playing well, Trevor Lawrence is playing some of the best football of his career and Jacksonville has weapons that can stress Cincinnati's defense. Even more importantly, the Jaguars now have a blueprint for attacking the Bengals after Pittsburgh successfully used outside runs to exploit Cincinnati's defense. This could be a high-scoring game, and Cincinnati may need to score more than the 27 points it scored against Pittsburgh. Can the Bengals respond? Can Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen and the rest of Cincinnati's veterans keep the team focused? And can the Bengals avoid allowing one frustrating loss to become a pattern? John Sheeran breaks down the biggest challenge facing Cincinnati before the Bengals take on the Jacksonville Jaguars. Subscribe to A to Z Sports Cincinnati for Bengals news, analysis, game previews, postgame reactions and everything you need throughout the 2026 NFL season. #Bengals #CincinnatiBengals #WhoDey #NFL 0:00 The Bengals are at an inflection point 0:35 Why the Bengals are going to lose games 1:02 The biggest difference this season 1:08 Andrew Whitworth's message to Cincinnati 1:44 Why Whitworth is still a Bengal 2:04 Whitworth's frustration with the Steelers loss 2:29 The Bengals cannot let mistakes snowball 3:00 The Bengals have two paths forward 3:31 This has been the Bengals' problem for years 3:53 Three players must step up 4:01 Dexter Lawrence is the Bengals' best defender 4:20 Jonathan Allen has been REALLY good 4:35 Bryan Cook's strong start 4:55 Why these veterans matter 5:22 The Bengals' new leaders have to change things 5:53 Why Lawrence, Allen and Cook are so important 6:06 Can they make Whitworth proud? 6:16 The Jaguars present a HUGE challenge 6:26 Trevor Lawrence is playing his best football 6:41 Jacksonville has the blueprint 6:50 The Bengals will need to score 7:02 How Cincinnati responds will tell us everything 7:13 The Bengals can still go VERY far 7:26 Bengals vs. Jaguars prediction Make A to Z Sports your preferred source on Google: https://google.com/preferences/source?q=atozsports.com Play A to Z Sports Daily Games: https://atozsports.com/games For more Bengals coverage: https://atozsports.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals-news/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BengalsFans4Life Twitter/X: https://x.com/AtoZSportsNFL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atozsportsbengals/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@atozsportsbengals #CincinnatiBengals #Bengals #BengalsFootball #WhoDey #NFL #NFLFootball