The Cincinnati Bengals are beginning to find their groove. The AFC North outfit may have gotten off to a 2-2 start to the 2026 NFL season, but Joe Burrow and co have since won three on the bounce entering their European clash against the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid, Spain. Joe Burrow has been red-hot to start the 2026 NFL seasonGettyA large part of their success thus far has been their offense, with the Bengals ranking No. 1 in the NFL in passing yards per game (288.4 yards per game).Their 29.4 points scored per game ranks second in the league behind the rampant Buffalo Bills (33.3 PTS/G) offense spearheaded by leading MVP favorite Josh Allen. Joe Burrow ‘gives hope’ to his defenseAs a new-look defense continues to build chemistry with each other, Bengals defensive tackle Jonathan Allen is just glad that his team doesn’t ever have to go up against the electric trio of Burrow, Tee Higgins, and top-three wideout in the NFL, Ja’Marr Chase. “When you have a guy like Joe, the biggest thing he does for a team is give hope,” Allen exclusively told talkSPORT’s Will Varney before the Bengals’ game vs the Falcons at the Bernabeu Stadium.“As a defense, when you know you have a guy like Joe, it gives you hope to never mentally check out of a situation because you know that if you give Joe a chance, you always have a chance and that’s really all you can ask for.”Burrow played just eight games in the 2025 campaign due to a turf toe injury, but through seven games of 2026, and back to full health, he looks worthy of every cent of his five-year, $275 million contract. The former No. 1 overall pick has completed a career-high 73 percent of his 267 pass attempts through his first seven outings, throwing for 2,115 yards and 22 total touchdowns to just six interceptions.“I’m just like, ‘wow,'” Allen said of what it’s like to watch Burrow and his offense go to work on the field. “You see Joe throw some balls and you’re just like, ‘I don’t know why he would throw that’. “And then then you remember who’s throwing to and you’re like, ‘okay, it makes sense’. I’ve never seen anything like it and I’m sure as heck glad I’m on their side.”Allen, a two-time Pro Bowler who has made $115 million over the course of his career, spent his first eight seasons with the Washington Commanders before a one-season spell with the Minnesota Vikings. Burrow is not short of weapons with Higgins and Chase in his receiving arsenalGettyBengals star Allen revealed that Burrow gives the entire team ‘hope’ whenever he steps out onto the fieldGettyBengals defense beginning to hit its strideHe now finds himself as part of a Bengals defense that underwent a huge overhaul in the off-season. After losing star edge rusher Trey Hendrickson to AFC North rivals Baltimore Ravens in free agency, Cincinnati swung a blockbuster trade to land All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence from the New York Giants – who has already made his presence felt. “His impact is is well known,” Allen said of Lawrence. “Best nose tackle in the game, best defensive tackle in the game. The things he can do on the field is already well known, but the thing that makes it so impressive for me is how he is off the field. “It’s very rare you get a talent like him who’s such a great guy off the field. A family-oriented man, makes everybody around him better, lightens the mood day in and day out. “That’s what I appreciate so much because with with the football season it can get long and get monotonous. You can get into a a kind of lull with the repetitiveness that each week is. And when you have a guy like Dexter that just makes everybody better on and off the field.”Having also added the likes of Boye Mafe and Bryan Cook in free agency, the Bengals’ defensive unit, coordinated by Al Golden, has been inconsistent at times, but which has steadily improved as the season has progressed. The Bengals underwent a huge defensive overhaul in the offseason, trading for superstar Dexter LawrenceGetty“Defensively, we just want to be a physical defense that flies around. And at times, I think we’ve shown that,” Allen stated.“I think we’ve shown we could be one of the best in the league, and at times not so much. So, I think for us to just finding a way to be consistent because everybody can be great once or twice, but can you do it consistently? And you know, that’s what we’re striving for.”There appears to be a growing confidence internally that Cincinnati can establish themselves as one of the best teams in the NFL, with Super Bowl LXI ambitions surely in the back of their minds. “I think this team can be the best team in the league, but we got to work like that every day,” the 30-year-old added. “But the thing I appreciate about this team so much is the sense of urgency. … “The way we work regardless of our record, regardless of the score, regardless of how we played the last week is is refreshing. It’s exciting and I think we could be a dangerous team, but we just got to take it week by week.”A victory over the Falcons in Spain will see the Bengals return to the United States with a 6-2 record entering their bye week, and keeping them at pace with division rivals Pittsburgh Steelers in the race for the AFC North title. Sign up for talkSPORT Stateside, the YouTube channel dedicated to passionate US Sports fans. Will Gavin, Brian T. Smith, former NFL star Efe Obada and a collection of special guests debate the biggest talking points across the NFL, soccer, NBA and more.