Bengals sit 2-2 as Burrow’s turf-toe injury and Browning’s uneven play derail the start. A run-first approach may dominate until Burrow returns, shaping weekly fantasy expectations.

Defensively, Hendrickson is the lone reliable edge, while Jenkins, McKinnley Jackson, Ossai and Stewart haven’t produced consistent pressure. Free-agent additions Slaton, Hill and Pennel are average at best. With Taylor under pressure, Cincinnati needs immediate DL production to steady the ship.

Cincinnati’s Week 3 test features Jake Browning facing his former team as Cincinnati shoots to 3-0, leaning on Chase Brown to jump-start the run game and setting up a critical fantasy lens on Browning’s efficiency and volume. Joseph Ossai’s fine casts a shadow over the edge, adding urgency for Bengals’ pass rush. Across the league, trade deadline chatter, a defense-first 2026 mock, and late-week injury notes (Emeka Egbuka, Tucker Kraft) shape Week 3 lineups and upside plays. Giants-Chiefs boldness and Packers’ Kraft/Egbuka buzz keep the fantasy stakes high.

Expect Cincinnati to lean on the ground game to protect Browning, optimize play-action, and limit risk in a tough divisional test. The injury radar tightens Week 3 decisions around Egbuka and Kraft, while Ossai’s discipline history adds a wrinkle for IDP managers. The broader NFL chatter adds macro context for speculative moves and potential boosts to specific sleepers in the Bengals’ orbit.

Bengals lean on Browning as Burrow’s toe injury pushes the offense into a cautious, grow-and-go mode, while Al Golden reshapes the defense for third downs. The plan centers on balance between rush and coverage, with Stewart’s health uncertain and Ossai/Myles Murphy ready to step up. Cincinnati has forced turnovers early, but must tighten third-down execution to sustain the 2-0 start.

Turnovers remain the defense’s identity, led by Hill and Battle, even as the offense searches for rhythm. A matchup with Minnesota looms, making a quick, cohesive unit critical as the young DBs and Hendrickson keep pressuring Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars’ scheme, hoping to ride momentum through Burrow’s absence.

Cincinnati opens 2025 with a fast-start mindset, leaning on Burrow, Chase and Higgins to push the ball early while Risner shuffles into a pivotal right-guard role. The defense pins its hopes on Hendrickson and Ossai pressuring Cleveland’s attack, with Cam Taylor-Britt and Logan Wilson patrolling the back end. Noah Fant’s addition for CLE adds a new mismatch, and Knight’s learning curve adds a rookie ceiling-floor dynamic. The episode predicts a Week 1 result that tilts offense for one host and toward defensive pace for the other, with season-long outlooks peppered in.

Week 1 depth chart: Hendrickson and Ossai start at defensive end for Cincinnati, with Shemar Stewart and Myles Murphy in rotational slots. Stewart will slide inside on several packages, Murphy backing him up. The layout signals a push for more production from high-round picks on defense after an offseason coaching shake-up, even as Week 1 snaps lean veteran edges. Fantasy players should monitor Stewart’s interior rush and Murphy’s edge reps for early-season impact.