6 Things I Learned From Week 6 of the NFL Season

The Bengals Defense May Not Be So Elite

Cincinnati's had a rough couple of weeks when you combine the outcome of their games, how those outcomes happened, and all the injuries they've suffered. But even still, allowing 80 points in two straight games is no recipe for success.

The Bengals started the year against Baltimore (entered Week 5 with the 9th-ranked defense), Falcons (1st) and Titans (24th). Their ability to stop both Baltimore and Atlanta was impressive, and they only allowed a touchdown to the Titans.

Though the Patriots are all of a sudden surging, they still ranked 22nd offensively after last week's contest against the Bengals. And Carolina, the Bengals' Week 6 opponent, hasn't done much offensively either, ranking 19th.

80 points? Even if we were to assume no overtime in this week's ridiculous tie - 77 points?

The truth is, Cincinnati can't stop the run. They've got a top-five pass defense (which may change after Cam Newton's performance) per our metrics, but the rush defense has been one of the worst in the NFL this year. Go look at Cam Newton's stat line from this week, or the Patriots' ground game in Week 5 for a case in point.

The Bengals are still a good team, and once they get healthy, they'll still compete. But the last two weeks have been very questionable on the defensive side of the ball.