The Bengals have spent the last two weeks looking like a team that can beat itself in a dozen different ways. Joe Burrow’s turnovers, special teams disasters, shaky defense and a wave of injuries have turned a 2-0 start into a sudden mess, and it’s easy to understand why the temperature around Zac Taylor feels higher than it did a few days ago.
Still, there’s a case for holding off on the panic button. Some of the ugliest damage has already happened, and that matters.
Week 3 against the Steelers was the kind of game that can poison a stretch if it lingers. Pittsburgh roughing the punter and losing a muffed punt in the same game is bad enough on its own. When both mistakes directly account for 10 points in a three-point loss, the explanation is staring everyone in the face.
Burrow deserves blame for the sack-fumble that followed Derrick Harmon’s hit. An elite quarterback has to protect the ball there, especially with the Bengals in range.
But the sequence doesn’t live in a vacuum. Ke’Shawn Williams also put the punt on the ground, and Cedric Johnson’s roughing-the-punter penalty helped turn the game into a gift exchange the Bengals could not survive.
That game also came with a steep injury cost. Nickelback Jalen Davis, along with safeties Bryan Cook and Kyle Dugger, came out hurt. Davis is now on injured reserve, and Cook and Dugger may both miss their second straight game Sunday in Miami.
Then came the Jaguars loss, and it carried its own set of problems. Ja’Marr Chase suffered a concussion.
Tee Higgins later picked up an adductor injury. Burrow was under siege because the Bengals could not run the ball at all against Jacksonville, forcing him into more than 50 dropbacks.
The red-zone interception also had context. Mitch Tinsley had just rejoined the team from the Texans practice squad, and he and Burrow were not on the same page.
Burrow’s throw looked ugly in real time, but on the replay Tinsley appears to have been the one who should have kept running to the spot where the ball was placed. He did not.
That doesn’t mean Jacksonville was an easy excuse. The Jaguars are a legitimate team, sitting comfortably in the top 10 of the NFL power rankings.
Their front seven held Chase Brown to 10 yards on nine carries, and they did it after losing All-Pro linebacker Devin Lloyd in free agency. Liam Coen’s offense also gives opponents plenty to worry about.
Cincinnati still held Jacksonville to 22 points, which matters even in a loss.
The bigger picture is what comes next. If the Bengals handle the 0-4 Dolphins, they would go into their Week 6 bye at 3-2.
That would give them extra time to get ready for Baltimore, where Jesse Minter is now the head coach. A road win there would help, but even if Cincinnati leaves that game at 3-3, it would hardly be fatal.
Lamar Jackson is dealing with an injured ankle, too.
There’s also reason to doubt the teams around them can keep this pace. The Steelers’ aging defense has to last 17 games, not just a few weeks, and Aaron Rodgers is part of that equation. Baltimore, meanwhile, plays only one team with a losing record over the next seven games.
And then there’s Cleveland. If the Browns really are for real, the Bengals will see them in Week 13 in Cleveland and again in the regular-season finale at Paycor Stadium. That finale is the second straight divisional home game, with the Ravens coming to town in Week 17.
In Other News...
Joe Burrow Just Reopened The Bengals' Biggest Offensive Concern
After the Week 4 loss to Jacksonville, Joe Burrow put Cincinnatis offensive imbalance right back in the spotlight. The Bengals leaned heavily on the pass and never found much rhythm on the ground, and Burrow didnt shy away from saying the run game has to be better if the offense is going to hold up over the long haul. It was the kind of postgame acknowledgment that usually says as much about where a team is headed as it does about the box score.
Burrow also signaled a willingness to adjust his own approach if thats what helps the offense become more functional. That matters for a Bengals group that is still trying to find consistency and a better weekly identity, especially with the early-season margin for error already getting thin. The bigger question now is whether Cincinnatis response is a real shift in how it wants to play, or just the latest reminder that its balance remains a work in progress. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Have A Personal Mike Ditka Connection Fans May Not Know
Mike Ditkas death sent a wave through the NFL, a reminder of how much of the leagues modern identity was shaped by one of its most recognizable voices and figures. A Hall of Fame tight end, coach and longtime commentator, Ditka was best known for his impact on the field and on the sideline, especially during the 1985 Chicago Bears iconic run, and his passing drew reactions from players and fans across the sport.
For Cincinnati, the connection is a little more personal than many might realize. One current Bengals player took time to reflect on Ditka after hearing the news, a small but telling sign of how the former stars reach stretched well beyond Chicago and into todays locker rooms. Even years removed from his playing and coaching days, Ditka remained the kind of football name that still carries weight with players who never shared a field with him. [Read more 🡒]
Ja'Marr Chase Situation Just Added To Bengals' Miami Concern
The Bengals were already navigating a tricky stretch of injuries before Ja'Marr Chase's latest status entered the conversation, and the timing only sharpens the concern heading into Miami. Head coach Zac Taylor has acknowledged the challenges that come with having players banged up, while also expressing confidence in the group's ability to keep moving forward and handle whatever the week brings.
Chase's availability now sits near the center of that equation, especially with a matchup against the Dolphins looming. The fallout from the play that sent him off the field has already drawn league discipline, but for Cincinnati the bigger question is whether its top receiver can get back in time to help in a game that suddenly carries a little more uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]