The problem for the Cincinnati Bengals used to be the struggle during the postseason. However, in the 2020s their fortunes seemed to have changed when they made a great play for the Super Bowl, losing by only three points to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021. After 2022, when they took the AFC North Division, times have been harder.
2023 saw a last place finish in the AFC with a 9-8 record but there were hopes that things would settle as they lost key quarterback Joe Burrow after the tenth game with a wrist injury. The start to 2024 has not been kind.
Critics acknowledge that the team is good offensively – in fact, that offense could have a wild ride all the way to February if the defense was stable. Given the overriding states of the AFC North, it looks like the Bengals will have to win 75 to 80 per cent of their remaining games to even get a sniff in the NFL playoff odds.
So what are the flaws that must be fixed to have a shot at getting to the end game for the team that used to be known as The Bungles? They do not want to be labeled as that team with the losing streak again. The game against the Ravens in early October summed up their weakness. Burrow was bursting with big plays, throwing for 392 yards and a career-high five touchdowns. Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase caught 10 passes for 193 yards and two scores. Yet they lost. They lose from big winning positions.
That brutal 38-41 overtime reverse was the latest in a line of defeats which outdid the previous game. The defense actually stepped up to the mark and subdued the Ravens for much of the game. They held two ten-point leads and they were even given a gift in overtime with a fumble by Baltimore that should have provided the template for a win. Yet they grabbed defeat from the jaws of victory.
“I know exactly how we are 1-4,” Burrow said. “We are not making the plays at the end of the game to go and win it. It’s definitely not disbelief, I know exactly what’s happening.” Some of the more embarrassing facts are that the defense allowed 520 yards of offense to Baltimore, which is in the top ten of any NFL team over the last two campaigns. Burrow admitted that, currently, they are not a Championship team and need to find a way.
Close but no cigar is the phrase that is following Cincy around at this moment. Their agonizing one-point loss to Kansas in September was another missed opportunity to defeat the Super Bowl champions who were more vulnerable than usual. Despite picking off Patrick Mahomes twice and Burrow outplaying his direct opponent in passing by 103 to 80, it was the Bengal quarterback’s fumble in the third play of the fourth quarter that led to a Chiefs touchdown. The Bengals failed to be calm and composed when they needed it most.
This is becoming a theme for the head coach Zac Taylor. “I got to put us in a better position, really, There’s a lot of talent on the team, and as the coach, you’ve got to find ways to maximize that and make sure we’re walking off with wins, and I haven’t done a good enough job with that,” Taylor has admitted.
The stats do not lie. In their early games, the Bengals have averaged just under 30 points per game in offense but almost exactly the same number in defense. Their first five games were less than five-star as that defense ranked last in points allowed per game (32.3), 30th in points per drive (2.73), and 31st in yards allowed per game.
These numbers are simply unsustainable although there are mitigating circumstances. Defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins has been out with a hamstring concern and Dax Hill suffered a season-ending ACL injury against the Ravens with cornerback Mike Hilton also out on the sidelines during that period. This exacerbated the change-ups that haven’t covered the gap in experience.
There’s an old saying that reads: ”Offense sells tickets but defense wins championships.” The fact is that history is against the Bengals making it to the back end of the season. Less than ten per cent of teams with a 1-4 start have made the playoffs. The good news is that they have already played the two best offensive teams in the NFL and can now conceivably go on a winning streak against more vulnerable opposition. It sounds good in theory but they need to hit the hottest streak to give themselves a shot.
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