The 10 best defensive teams in the NFL
No. 3: Cincinnati Bengals
This may be a few spots higher than some will have the Bengals ranked. I have heard others say that they believe that the loss of Michael Johnson as a pass rusher and defensive coordinator (now Vikings head coach) Mike Zimmer as a leader will cause them to regress this season. I don’t see it that way. While those are notable loses (especially Zimmer) I still see an elite defense in Cincinnati this season.
The biggest plus for Cincy will be the return of Geno Atkins, arguably the best defensive tackle in football. While the loss of Johnson at DE is note worthy, it appears that Margus Hunt may be starting to capitalize on his freakish athletic gifts. If he can at least become a solid rotational player it will go a long way towards filling the void left by Johnson. The Bengals have an active linebacking core with Vontaze Burfict as the stand out player of the group. Finally, they have a small army of CBs competing for playing time with Leon Hall, Terence Newman, Adam Jones, Dre Kirkpatrick, and first round draft pick Darqueze Dennard.
With athletic freaks like Atkins and Hunt up front, a tackling machine in Burfict at LB, and plenty of DBs to cover people on the back end I anticipate that the Bengals will have one of the best defenses in the NFL in 2014.