Bengals defense takes another step with strong performance versus Arizona

CINCINNATI (AP) — Facing the seventh-ranked passing game in the NFL, the Cincinnati Bengals’ maligned defense turned in its best performance of the season in Sunday's 37-14 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

The Bengals emptied their bench in the fourth quarter with a 30-point lead, and Arizona was able to move the ball in the fourth quarter against Cincinnati’s backups.

But through three quarters, Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett was held to 86 passing yards. The Cardinals also finished the game averaging just 3.2 yards per carry.

“I thought defensively, really shutting down the run game, not giving them anything in the run game early on outside of that one touchdown early in the game — I thought they played really good,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “Got a lot of pressure on Jacoby (Brissett), four sacks, a bunch of TFLs, really harassed him throughout the night — that was awesome to see. (Holding them to) 3-for-13 on third down was critical for us.”

The Bengals are especially seeing progress at outside cornerback. DJ Turner continued what’s viewed as a Pro Bowl-caliber season by Taylor, and cornerback Dax Hill had one of the best games of his NFL career. Hill broke up three passes and didn’t allow a single catch while frequently matching up against Cardinals star tight end Trey McBride and 2024 first-round pick Marvin Harrison Jr.

McBride set the single-season receptions record for an NFL tight end this season, but the Bengals held him to 31 total receiving yards through three quarters when the Bengals starters were in the game. McBride tacked on 45 more yards in the fourth quarter against the Bengals backups.

Pass rush and coverage worked together on Sunday as the Bengals had four sacks and eight quarterback hits.

“We came out to play today,” said rookie Shemar Stewart, who had his first NFL sack. “Everyone had a good game today.”

Stewart has missed most of the season with injuries, and he’s one of the core players whom the Bengals are counting on taking a step forward in 2026. Taylor said that these reps are important for the first-round pick out of Texas A&M.

“He hasn’t gotten a chance to just be healthy for a long stretch,” Taylor said. “It’s always a stop-start this year, no fault of his own with the injuries. So, to see him out there accumulating a bunch of snaps over these last couple weeks, first career sack, can get that off your back a little bit before you’re going to the offseason. He’s got a lot of potential for us.”

Rookie linebackers Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter played critical roles in the Bengals’ successful plan against McBride, and Carter made one of the best plays of his young career with a leaping pass breakup that created a third down stop.

The Bengals defense continues to show incremental progress.

“(The Bengals defense) tackled well,” quarterback Joe Burrow said. “We stopped the run. And when you do those two things, then you get to third down and anything can happen on third down. So, the key is stopping the run, and we’ve done that for several weeks in a row now. It’s been fun to watch.”

The Bengals have scored at least 37 points in consecutive games for the second time this season, only this time they won both games. The Bengals have had their full complement of pass catchers available over the past two games, and the passing game has been on a roll. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Burrow completed all 19 of his passes when not pressured for 203 yards and three touchdowns. Over the past seven seasons, no quarterback has finished with more completions from clean pockets without an incompletion in any game.

Free safety Geno Stone continued a below-average season with another game where he missed multiple tackles. The most glaring one on Sunday was on the Cardinals’ 38-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. Stone leaped at Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson and barely made contact with him, which allowed Wilson to score.

Return specialist Ke’Shawn Williams, who joined the team just two weeks ago, has received two game balls from Taylor in two games for his impact on special teams. Williams’ highlight on Sunday was a 43-yard punt return that set up a touchdown in the third quarter.

Back in November, when Cam Taylor-Britt suffered a season-ending foot injury, there was a prime opportunity for reserve cornerback Josh Newton to prove that he could be a starter in the NFL. But Newton wasn’t able to hold onto his starting spot, and then he missed Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury that popped up on Friday.

Right tackle Amarius Mims was out of the game for a few drives with a shin injury, but he returned.

11: The number of Bengals who caught passes on Sunday against the Cardinals

31: Receiving yards through three quarters for Cardinals star tight end Trey McBride, who was kept in check for the competitive portion of the game.

Cincinnati closes out the season at home with a rivalry game against the 4-12 Browns. Cleveland is coming off a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow warms up before an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) runs in a touchdown as Arizona Cardinals cornerback Denzel Burke defends during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle B.J. Hill (92) leaves the field with safety Geno Stone, right, after an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki reacts after a play during the second half of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Myles Murphy (99) reacts after sacking Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett, not pictured during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

A strengthening bomb cyclone barreled across the northern U.S. on Monday, unleashing severe winter weather in the Midwest as it took aim at the East Coast.

The storm brought blizzard conditions, treacherous travel and power outages to parts of the Plains and Great Lakes on Monday as sharply colder air, strong winds and a mix of snow, ice and rain swept through.

Forecasters said the storm intensified quickly enough to meet the criteria of a bomb cyclone, a system that strengthens rapidly as pressure drops. The sharp cold front left parts of the central U.S. waking up Monday to temperatures as much as 50 degrees Fahrenheit (28 degrees Celsius) colder than the day before.

All that wind and snow created “a pretty significant system for even this part of the country,” said Cody Snell, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center. Dangerous wind chills plunged as low as minus 30 F (minus 34 C) across parts of North Dakota and Minnesota.

The National Weather Service had warned of whiteout conditions beginning Sunday that could make travel impossible in some places.

In Iowa, blizzard conditions eased by Monday morning but high winds were still blowing fallen snow across roadways, keeping more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) of Interstate 35 closed. State troopers reported dozens of crashes during the storm, including one that killed a person.

Forecasters expect the storm to intensify, fueled by a sharp clash between frigid Canadian air and lingering warmth across the southern United States.

Nationwide, about 350,000 customers were without power Monday afternoon, more than a third of them in Michigan, according to Poweroutage.us. Airports reported over 6,000 flight delays and around 775 cancellations within the United States.

Snow piled up quickly in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where as much as 2 feet (0.6 meters) fell in some areas, according to the National Weather Service. Meteorologist Ryan Metzger said additional snow was expected in the coming days, although totals would be far lighter.

Waves on Lake Superior were expected to reach 20 feet (6 meters) Monday, sending all but one cargo ship into harbors for shelter, according to MarineTraffic.com. Weather forecasting on the lakes has improved greatly since the Edmund Fitzgerald sank in 1975 after waves were predicted at up to 16 feet (5 meters).

The fierce winds on Lake Erie sent water surging toward the basin’s eastern end near Buffalo, New York, while lowering water on the western side in Michigan to expose normally submerged lakebed — even the wreck of a car and a snowmobile.

Rain and a wintry mix fell farther east across parts of the Northeast. Freezing rain was reported in northern New York, with the threat extending into Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

Forecasters warned the ice and wind could strain power lines and trees. More than 57,000 power outages were reported across upstate New York on Monday afternoon, utility officials said. Heavy lake-effect snow and possible whiteouts were forecast Tuesday for the northwestern part of the state, the National Weather Service said.

On the West Coast, the National Weather Service warned that moderate to strong Santa Ana winds were expected in parts of Southern California through Tuesday, raising concerns about downed trees in areas where soils have been saturated by recent storms. Two more storms were forecast later this week, with rain on New Year’s Day potentially soaking the Rose Parade in Pasadena for the first time in about two decades.

A weekend snowstorm hit Alaska’s northern panhandle with 15 to 40 inches (38 to 102 centimeters), according to the National Weather Service, keeping the region under a winter storm warning Monday as Juneau braced for up to 9 more inches (23 centimeters) and possible freezing rain. City facilities were closed and road crews piled snow into towering berms, while communities farther south faced flood watches from snowmelt and heavy rain.

And in central Illinois, an EF1 tornado with peak winds of 98 mph (158 kph) damaged buildings and snapped power poles on Sunday.

Associated Press writers Julie Walker in New York; Corey Williams in Detroit; Margery Beck in Omaha, Nebraska; Susan Haigh in Norwich, Connecticut; and Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska, contributed.

A car drives down a snowy main street in downtown Juneau, Alaska, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)

Neil Wakeman, a Luna Pier city council member, holds up a steering wheel as he and friends look over a car that is normally submerged in roughly eight feet of water, about 100 yards off the beach in Luna Pier, Mich., Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. (Andy Morrison/Detroit News via AP)

Chase Caruso, center, and his father, Peter Caruso, spread sand on their icy driveway during a freezing rainstorm, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Harrison, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Snow is cleared from a parking lot in Grandville, Mich. on Monday Dec. 29, 2025. (Joel Bissell /MLive.com via AP)

A woman walks protected under an umbrella during a sleet and freezing rain storm, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Manchester, N.H. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Jack, described as a mixed-breed mutt by his owner Shelley, keeps in stride on their afternoon walk in sleet and freezing rain, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Manchester, N.H. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

FILE - An American Airlines plane arrives at the O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

People cross 7th street in the heavy snow on Sunday Dec. 28, 2025 in downtown Minneapolis. (Jerry Holt /Star Tribune via AP)

Devon Jordan, of Brainerd , helps a person start their car durning heavy snow fall on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025 in downtown Minneapolis. (Jerry Holt /Star Tribune via AP)

Heavy snow falls along Nicollet Mall Sunday Dec.28, 2025 in Minneapolis. (Jerry Holt /Star Tribune via AP)