The Bengals Are 5–2. Madrid Is a Game They Can’t Afford to Waste.

Joe Burrow threw for 462 yards and five touchdowns against Tennessee, then ran for the winning score in overtime. The Bengals needed every bit of it to win 43–36. A week later in Madrid, Cincinnati should find out whether it can win without asking its quarterback to perform a rescue act.

The Bengals are 5–2 and seeking a fourth straight win. The Falcons are 3–5 and coming off a 16–0 loss to Tampa Bay. Sunday’s game at the Bernabéu kicks off at 9:30 a.m. ET on NFL Network. Cincinnati has the better record and the better quarterback. What it needs to show is that it can turn those advantages into control of a game.

Make Atlanta Chase the Score

Tee Higgins caught 10 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns against Tennessee. Ja’Marr Chase caught 11 for 141 and a score. Zac Taylor can use the attention those two command to make Atlanta defend the full width of the field. If the Falcons keep both safeties deep, take the underneath completions and stay on schedule. If they bring help down to stop the run or crowd the short routes, give Burrow a chance to attack the space they leave behind.

An early lead would give Cincinnati’s defense something it struggled to create against Tennessee: predictable passing situations. It would also put pressure on Atlanta to move away from the part of its offense Cincinnati should be most concerned about.

Make Atlanta Earn Its Yards

Tony Pollard ran for 117 yards and two touchdowns against Cincinnati. Cam Ward threw for 304 yards. Those numbers belong in the Madrid preview because they show how quickly an opponent can make Burrow’s work irrelevant if it can run the ball and still find big gains through the air.

Bijan Robinson gives Atlanta a way to control the pace and keep Burrow on the sideline. Cincinnati has to tackle him cleanly, including when he catches the ball underneath. The Bengals’ scouting report notes that Michael Penix Jr. has averaged 2.59 seconds to throw. That makes the coverage and the rush equally important. Crowd the first read, tackle the outlet and force Penix to hold the ball long enough for the rush to matter.

Penix threw four interceptions against Tampa Bay in difficult weather. Cincinnati should prepare to earn its takeaways. An early stop followed by a touchdown drive would go further toward dictating the game than gambling for a turnover on the first series.

The Standard Is Higher at 5–2

Winning in overtime showed Cincinnati can finish a tight game. Sunday is a chance to show it can prevent one. That means getting off the field on third down, converting scoring chances into touchdowns and staying aggressive when a lead is still small enough for Atlanta to erase with one drive.

Madrid is an unusual setting for a straightforward assignment. If the Bengals expect to contend in January, they should be able to beat a 3–5 team without needing another extraordinary fourth quarter from Burrow. Coaching is a huge question mark for the Bengals and it has been since Taylor arrived. Taylor has struggled after bye weeks and now the Bengals face an uncommon situation playing overseas, can Taylor have the team prepared?