The Cincinnati Bengals’ defense has rightfully been much-maligned for the majority of this season, as it’s struggled in almost every facet. The last two games, however, a light seems to have gone off for Al Golden’s crew, and it couldn’t come at a better time with the return of Joe Burrow. Joseph Ossai and Myles Murphy have been leading the charge on the defensive line and are starting to turn a corner in the absence of All-Pro Trey Hendrickson. The duo was fantastic against the Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving Night and made life extremely difficult for Lamar Jackson as Cincy kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a 32-14 victory. With five games left in the regular season, there’s still more to prove for both players, not only for the Bengals but for their NFL financial future. Can Ossai and Murphy keep climbing in 2025 to support Burrow in getting the orange and black back in the division race?
Cincinnati Bengals Defensive Duo Finally Turning a Corner
Outstanding Ossai
It’s hard to believe, but Ossai is in year four in stripes and has slowly come along and improved each season. The Bengals selected him in the third round out of Texas in 2022, and he is still only 25 years old. Ossai is an ascending player who is a solid locker room presence, going through hot and cold streaks on the field. He’s on fire right now, having produced 17 pressures, 3 sacks, 9 hurries, and 1 FF in his last four games. His career total of 14.5 sacks is a solid number, and he has the good length and size for a prototypical EDGE. The Bengals will strongly consider re-signing him this offseason if he continues to perform at this level.
Murphy Rising
Ossai’s running mate in Murphy, on the other side, is also on a similar trajectory at the moment. Murphy is even younger at 23 years old, and speed is the name of his game as he impressively tracked down Derrick Henry and Jackson on separate plays last Thursday.
Myles Murphy's athleticism was on full display as he chased Lamar Jackson on this 3rd down. Clutch stop. pic.twitter.com/slRbjWsccF
— mike (@bengals_sans) November 29, 2025
The rise of Murphy is a boon for Cincinnati, especially this season, when they badly need him to perform at a high level, as it seems his time is now.
Power of Two
Having two players on both edge spots wreaking havoc has been crucial to the defense’s improvement in the last two weeks. Pro Football Focus has taken notice, and since Week 10, the Bengals have two edge rushers inside the top-20 in PFF grading: 5. Joseph Ossai (86.0), 20. Myles Murphy (69.6).
Burrow is a huge piece of this as well, and gives the team a noticeable lift in attitude and performance on the field. If the defense can keep fighting, QB1 can do the rest. Ossai and Murphy seem up to the task; let’s see if others follow suit.
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