The Bengals came out of Week 4 with another painful loss, falling 22-17 to the Jacksonville Jaguars after already dropping a frustrating game to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3. Cincinnati also had to deal with losing two of its biggest offensive weapons, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and still had a shot to steal the game late. Joe Burrow and the offense got one final chance, but the Bengals couldn’t convert on fourth down in their last possession.
There was enough to criticize on both sides of the ball, but one issue keeps showing up for Cincinnati: tight ends are finding far too much room against this defense.
That weakness had already been on display before Sunday. In Week 2, Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz put together a huge day with 12 catches for 140 yards.
Then in Week 3, Pittsburgh’s Darnell Washington led the Steelers in receiving with 67 yards. Against Jacksonville, the trend continued with Brenton Strange.
Strange turned in a big performance, catching seven passes for 95 yards and leading the Jaguars in both receptions and receiving yards. More often than not, when Jacksonville needed a play, Strange was the target that delivered it.
Nate Tice of Yahoo Sports noted via Next Gen Stats that entering Week 4, the Bengals had already allowed tight ends lined up tight to catch 10 of 12 targets for 144 yards. After Strange’s outing, that number looks even rougher.
Now the focus shifts to Week 5 and a meeting with the Miami Dolphins, who are still winless. Miami also hasn’t exactly leaned on its tight ends for major production this season.
In Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Will Kacmarek had one catch for 15 yards. Greg Dulcich posted the stronger showing in Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs, finishing with five receptions for 55 yards.
So this is a useful week for Cincinnati to clean up its tight end coverage. If the Dolphins find a way to make that area of the field matter, the Bengals could be staring at a much longer season than they expected.
In Other News...
Rex Ryan Just Sparked A New Bengals Debate Around Joe Burrow
The Bengals have been leaning on Joe Burrow and the passing game to carry the offense, and early in the season the running game has not done much to ease that load. It is the kind of imbalance that can work when the quarterback is humming, but it also puts extra pressure on the passing attack to stay sharp every week.
Rex Ryan recently put that familiar issue back in the spotlight, warning that a team built almost entirely around the pass can run into trouble if it never finds a steadier ground game. For Cincinnati, the concern is not whether Burrow can produce, but whether opponents will start selling out against the pass and force the Bengals to answer with a rushing attack that has not yet shown enough consistency. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Suddenly Have A Receiver Debate Fans Cant Ignore
The Bengals receiver room has suddenly become a talking point again, and not in the way they would prefer. With Tee Higgins and JaMarr Chase both dealing with injuries, Cincinnati is staring at a familiar problem at the exact moment the offense can least afford it, which is why the idea of adding another wideout has started circulating around the team.
Marvin Harrison Jr. is the name getting the most attention in that conversation, thanks to his talent and the kind of fit he would represent in Cincinnatis passing game. It is still only speculation, but the discussion says plenty about where the Bengals are right now: thin at receiver, under pressure to keep the offense afloat, and suddenly in the middle of a debate fans did not see coming. [Read more 🡒]
Former Bengals Star Sounds Alarm On A Problem Burrow Can't Escape
Through the first five weeks, the Bengals offense has been under a familiar kind of stress, and former receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh says the pressure is coming from a spot Cincinnati cannot afford to ignore. He pointed to opponents working the left side of the offensive line to get after Joe Burrow, a problem that has helped disrupt the rhythm of an attack that is still trying to find its footing.
Houshmandzadeh also flagged trouble covering tight ends and noted Burrows two interceptions as costly plays in a season where every mistake seems to carry extra weight. With Miami and Baltimore next on the schedule, the Bengals are staring at a stretch that will test whether those issues can be cleaned up quickly or whether they keep following Burrow from week to week. [Read more 🡒]