Undisciplined, Unfocused, Unprepared. You name it, the Cincinnati Bengals embodied it for the second week in a row, this time at the hands of the Denver Broncos 28-3. In a game where the offense had a solid first drive that ended in three points, the wheels quickly came off, leaving this squad searching for answers on both sides of the ball. Head coach Zac Taylor’s job is likely safe, but one has to wonder how much longer he’ll last if trends continue and his team stops playing hard. It’s difficult to pinpoint where to start with this group, but all eyes are on the offense, which has no semblance of organization or functionality. The defense hasn’t been much better by any stretch, but they are asked to do way too much with no support. Franchise quarterback Joe Burrow isn’t saving anyone this time around, and the front office may have some really tough decisions to make come January unless Taylor and his staff can quickly right the ship.
The Cincinnati Bengals Continue to Be an Absolute Embarrassment
Tick Tock
Mike Brown is the most patient owner in professional sports, but even he has to wonder what the plan is with Taylor calling plays for an offense that can’t even get going. Cincinnati was outgained 512-159 against Denver, for the most lopsided margin in the NFL this season. They have also been outscored 76-13 in the last two games and outgained 864-330 with 11 penalties and only nine total first downs.
Taylor is signed through 2026, and the Bengals don’t like to pay coaches not to work, but this cannot continue with 13 games left. While he deserves a tremendous amount of credit for getting the team to the Super Bowl and back-to-back AFC Championship Games, the NFL is a what have you done for me lately business, and everyone is being reminded of how important Burrow is to all parties involved.
Front Office Woes
The front office isn’t absolved of blame for the results on the field and has done a poor job drafting and developing talent since QB1 arrived. They have consistently whiffed in the draft and free agency on offensive linemen, and the defense has little depth or any real threat outside of All-Pro Trey Hendrickson.
Everyone knows they are too stubborn and set in their ways to change now. You have to hit lightning in a bottle like they did with Burrow in 2021 and 2022, and it’s all collapsing around them with a Super Bowl window that is murky at best, with a quarterback that will be 30 next season with multiple devastating injuries.
Fight or Flight
When you watch the Bengals, they play with very little aggression. It’s not magnified as much when you are scoring points at will, but they are getting abused at the line of scrimmage.
The area Taylor has excelled at over the years is keeping his team together and fighting until the very end. In 2025, this will be put to the ultimate test, and we’ll see if he survives to see 2026.
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