The Bengals have gone from looking like one of the NFL’s early darlings to landing in a very different conversation after Week 4. A 2-0 start had Cincinnati sitting pretty, but two losses they could have banked - against the Steelers and Jaguars - have cooled the shine fast.
That’s reflected in the latest power rankings, where the Bengals are getting a wide range of treatment. NFL.com kept them as high as No. 9, leaning on how strong the sixth-ranked Jaguars have looked.
Elsewhere, the drop was much steeper: Bleacher Report pushed Cincinnati all the way down to 17th, while both The Athletic and ESPN placed them at No. 15.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox pointed directly at the injuries to the Bengals’ top receivers and the uncertainty they create.
"Injuries of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins suddenly loom very large. Cincinnati's new-look defense has been markedly better than last year's unit, but the Bengals still haven't been good enough to beat quality teams when Joe Burrow isn't at his best.
[...] This still feels like a team that can be a tough out if it reaches the postseason, but that doesn't mean it will be a playoff team."
That’s the reality check for Cincinnati right now: the defense has improved, but the old problems haven’t disappeared. The tackling still isn’t clean enough, the run game still hasn’t shown up, and the team still has to prove it can consistently handle quality opponents when Burrow isn’t carrying everything.
The injuries to Chase and Higgins matter, but there’s no reason to rush either one back for Sunday’s trip to face the 0-4 Miami Dolphins. With the Week 6 bye coming at the perfect time, the Bengals can afford to let those situations breathe.
The Athletic’s concern level for Cincinnati was labeled "rapidly rising," though that feels more applicable if the Bengals leave Miami with a loss. Even then, the bigger heat would land on Zac Taylor and his job security than on the roster as a whole.
If you’re trying to place Cincinnati somewhere between the rosy and the harsh takes, 11th or 12th feels about right. The linebackers aren’t good enough, and the safety depth is thin. Burrow and the offense should sort things out eventually, even if the current answer at running back - Chase Brown as the feature option - doesn’t feel like one that’s about to change.
There’s also the simple matter of who sits above them in some of these rankings. At both Bleacher Report and ESPN, the Eagles, Broncos, and Patriots are listed ahead of the Bengals. That’s a grouping Cincinnati would seem capable of handling.
The Broncos, in particular, come with an asterisk after needing another improbable Bo Nix comeback to beat Jacksonville. Still, the Bengals have been a little overrated relative to where they were pegged before the season, and the two special teams blunders in Week 3 that cost them in Pittsburgh - along with a narrow home miss against a strong opponent while shorthanded - aren’t enough to trigger a full-blown overreaction.
The bigger takeaway is straightforward: the bye week arrived at exactly the right time.
In Other News...
Bengals Have A Personal Mike Ditka Connection Fans May Not Know
Mike Ditkas death stirred memories around the league this week, and for Bengals fans, the reaction carried a personal note through a current player with a strong feel for the old-school game. Ditka, a Hall of Fame tight end, coach and broadcaster, left a towering legacy as one of footballs most recognizable figures, from his playing days to the 1985 Bears team that became part of NFL lore.
The Bengals connection surfaced through Ted Karras, who remembered Ditka after hearing the news. It was the kind of reminder that the NFLs past is never all that far away, especially when a player whose influence stretched across generations still resonates with someone on a current Cincinnati roster. [Read more 🡒]
JaMarr Chase Still Has One Big Week 5 Hurdle
JaMarr Chases Week 5 outlook has moved in the right direction, and for the Bengals that alone is a welcome development after a week of watching the injury report closely. Chase was listed as questionable along with Justin Jefferson, but his progress in practice has been enough to keep optimism alive, especially with other notable receivers around the league already being ruled out or, in some cases, cleared to play.
The remaining wait now centers on the final piece of the process, and it is the sort of detail that can shape Sunday availability even after practice has gone well. Cincinnati has reason to feel better about where this is headed, but until that last step is completed, Chase still has one more hurdle to clear before the Bengals can count on having him back in the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Nico Collins Carries New Week 5 Pressure For Texans Fans
With the first bye week arriving, fantasy managers are already sorting through replacement options and trying to squeeze value out of every matchup. The lineup advice for this slate leans on recent usage, injury updates and game script, with players like Jameis Winston and Kyle Monangai getting attention because their roles and opponents line up well for Week 5 decisions.
For Cincinnati fans, the most relevant nugget sits on the other side of that DFS conversation, where Brown is drawing notice as a running back play with a favorable setup against Miami. The Dolphins have been a soft spot for backs all season, and the case for Brown rests on volume, scoring chances and the kind of offensive environment that can turn a steady workload into a big fantasy day. The only real question is how aggressive managers want to get in a spot that looks inviting, but still leaves room for one more surprise. [Read more 🡒]