It’s no secret that the Cincinnati Bengals haven’t lived up to their Super Bowl expectations in 2024. But they are still in prime position to make a run at the postseason. It’ll take a lot of polishing up and fixing simple mistakes, but I believe that they have what it takes to live up to the expectations.
Avoiding Simple Mistakes
If there has been one takeaway from the season so far from me, it’s the lack of discipline on both sides of the ball. While the Bengals are one of the least penalized teams in the NFL, they seem to have a knack for creating penalties at the worst possible times.
Coming off a 17-7 win against the Giants, two crucial penalties cost the Bengals greatly. One was a defensive pass interference against corner DJ Turner on a deep shot to Giants receiver Darius Slayton. This set the ball up on the Bengals’ one-yard line and the Giants scored the tying touchdown.
On the responding offensive drive, the Bengals ended up at the Giants one-yard line. On 2nd and goal, Cordell Volson was called on an offensive holding penalty. Burrow was sacked on the proceeing play and the Bengals settled for 3.
Turnovers and ball security have been common issues as well. Last week against the Baltimore Ravens, the Bengals set themselves up to go ahead 13 points before Burrow threw a critical interception to Marlon Humphrey. The Ravens scored a touchdown and went on to win the game.
Against the Giants, a lost fumble ruined the Bengals’ opportunity to capitalize on great field position. On the final true offensive drive of the game up 10-7, Chase Brown fumbled the football that thankfully rolled out of bounds.
All in all, turnovers and penalties are huge momentum killers. If the Bengals want to move over .500 at 5-4, they will need to avoid them as much as possible.
Complementary Football
Another takeaway I have for the Bengals is their lack of playing complementary football. If the offense has a stinker, the defense shines, and vice versa. The two forces need to combine and have a complete game. We haven’t seen a complete game yet this year, but it’s my belief that it’s coming.
The Bengals offense against the Giants had their worst performance since week 1. Scoring only 17 points, not capitalizing on field position, and turning the ball over was costly. The Giants’ defense is no joke, however, as they have stars all around. According to fieldvisionsports.com, they rank first in defensive HAVOC, or simpler terms, forcing negative plays.
On the other side of the ball, the defense had their best game of the year. Lou Anarumo snapped a 75-game streak of allowing opponents to score 10 or more. Forcing 4 punts, a turnover on downs, and creating a turnover is the key to success every time. If the Bengals’ defense can sustain success, the Bengals will have a fun stretch of games.
What’s Next for the Bengals?
The Bengals’ next three games are at Cleveland, vs. Philadelphia, and vs. Las Vegas. All three teams have struggled offensively in recent weeks, which is exactly what this defense wants to hear. If the Bengals’ offense returns to what we know it to be, it should be three straight victories.
I have full confidence that the Bengals will turn it around. The odds aren’t in their favor heading into Cleveland, as Zac Taylor, in his sixth year, is looking for his first win at the mistake on the lake.
However, the Browns are struggling offensively. They have yet to score more than 20 points in a game. Deshaun Watson is looking like the worst QB the Browns, yes the Browns, have ever seen. He is in line to start on Sunday. They also traded away star WR Amari Cooper to the Bills. But of course, Nick Chubb will return for the first time since his freak injury against the Steelers last season. He has owned the Bengals since being drafted in 2018.
Just Stack Wins
Not every game is going to be pretty. The Bengals aren’t going to be perfect in a game. There will be mistakes and there will be ugly plays. But the only thing that matters is wins. If they can scratch and claw their way to 5-4 heading into Baltimore, I love their chances at making the postseason.
Joe Burrow is playing at an MVP level, just as I expected, and that will need to continue. The defense needs to manage to stay healthy and stack good performances. The Bengals have turned it around every season with Burrow playing a full season. This year could be the same in a weaker AFC. Here’s to hoping Zac Taylor and the squad can repeat.
