It was the tale of two halves for the Cincinnati Bengals in their 35-13 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

The Bengals went to the locker room at halftime trailing 13-0. Then, 35 unanswered points were put on the board, sending the crowd in Baltimore to the parking lot a little early.

The Bengals' offense is receiving a lot of praise for their second-half performance, and rightfully so. However, the defense pitched a shutout in the second half that deserves its own kind of praise.

Putting It All Together

Domination in every aspect of the game led to the Bengals' dominant second half. What also needs to be highlighted after this performance is who the Bengals brought in this offseason to bolster their defensive line.

Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence has been the shining star when it comes to offseason additions. But edge rusher Boye Mafe's stock continues to rise with each passing week.

The Bengals sacked Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley four times on Sunday. Mafe accounted for 1.5 sacks. In his postgame comments, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor shared his thoughts on the team's edge rush and Mafe's performance in the win.

"Awesome. (Mafe) just affects the passer, and he got the two sacks," Taylor answered when asked about the performance of Mafe and the rest of his defensive line. "Cashius (Howell) got his first one, and seeing Dexter finish it off there, a lot of guys were coming into the backfield getting hands on them."

Taylor made a good point. It wasn't just the defensive line that was getting in the backfield. Safety Bryan Cook accounted for a half sack in Sunday's win.

The second half on Sunday was the performance that is expected from this team each and every time they step on the field. Now, it's about doing that for four quarters.

A Chance To Lead The Pack

It sounds cliché, but this game was the biggest game so far this season for the Bengals. With the win, the team stays afloat in a division where everyone continues to find a way to win. Getting a division victory in a situation like this is paramount.

Looking ahead, the Bengals have a chance to separate themselves from the pack with their November schedule.

The Bengals' next three games are against the Tennessee Titans, the Atlanta Falcons, and a revenge matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

This team showed what their full potential can look like. Now, they need to prove they can put it together for a full game as the most important time of the year arrives.

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