Subscribe
Follow Us
The Cincinnati Bengals are having a rough first half of the 2024 NFL season. Cincinnati started the season with an embarrassing loss to the New England Patriots, which feels like it set the tone for the season. The Bengals have been constantly behind the eight ball. Despite playing some strong opponents right down to the wire (the Chiefs come to mind), the Bengals have barely managed to put three wins together.
As a result, the Bengals need every single win they can get their hands on to help rescue the season. Unfortunately, they did the opposite of that in Week 8. Cincinnati lost 37-17 in front of their home fans in what felt like a particularly crushing defeat.
But does this mean the Bengals' season is over? Or do they have a chance to rally down the stretch and make the playoffs?
Below, we will explore three reasons why the Bengals are officially in trouble after their blowout loss to the Eagles in Week 8.
The Bengals probably need to win the AFC North to make the postseason
To start, let's acknowledge that the Bengals have a steep uphill climb ahead of them if they want to make the playoffs.
The AFC is a fairly competitive conference right now and making the postseason as a wild card will not be easy. Only three wild card teams will make the playoffs, but the Bengals have more teams than that in their way.
If the season ended today, the Bengals would miss the postseason. They are currently behind the Broncos, Chargers, Ravens, and Colts in wild card standings, putting them more than one team outside of the picture.
Therefore, the most direct path to the playoffs is a division title. Unfortunately, this looks like a pipe dream for a Cincinnati squad that is three games back in the AFC North standings.
Cincinnati's four remaining divisional games (two against Pittsburgh, and one each against Cleveland and Baltimore) are shaping up to be hugely important for rescuing their season.
The Bengals' defense cannot stop anybody, which puts more pressure on their offense
Perhaps the most fundamental problem facing the Bengals in 2024 is their atrocious defense. The struggles of Cincinnati's defense is quite puzzling. Their defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is widely regarded as one of the top defensive minds in the NFL. He has also proven adept at putting together unique defenses throughout the past several seasons.
The defensive roster is not too shabby either. Staple players like Sam Hubbard, Trey Hendrickson, and Logan Wilson are all still around, and there is depth at nearly every position. However, the combination is simple not as good as the individual parts put together.
Cincinnati has allowed 144 total points through eight weeks, which is third worst in the NFL behind only Carolina and Jacksonville. They allow touchdowns on 27.4% of drives according to Pro Football Focus, which ranks 28th in the NFL.
One final stat — the Bengals' defense allows a positive EPA on 47.9% of snaps, which is 31st in the NFL. The only team worse is the Arizona Cardinals.
Aside from the obvious reasons why having a poor defense is bad, the main problem here is the pressure that creates for Cincinnati's offense. If the Bengals make a single mistake on offense, even something small like a three-and-out, that can result in seven points for the other team. That leaves the Bengals practically no margin for error, which makes it impossible to consistently win football games.
Joe Burrow is the only consistent part of Cincinnati's offense
Joe Burrow is individually having a phenomenal 2024 season. However, Burrow's excellent QB play alone is not enough to will the Bengals to victory week after week. He really needs some assistance from his teammates, just like every NFL QB does.
Burrow's stats are fantastic through eight weeks. He has just shy of 2,000 passing yards (1,993) for 15 touchdowns and only three interceptions. Burrow has a completion percentage of 70.3%. All of that together gives him a solid 106.5 passer rating on the season.
Unfortunately, nobody else on the Bengals offense operates with the same level of consistency.
Ja'Marr Chase is the next best thing, with his only poor game of the season (four receptions for 35 yards) coming in Week 2 against the Chiefs. That said, his production is dependent on the offensive line giving Burrow enough time to get him the ball.
The rushing game has been okay, with the combination of Zack Moss and Chase Brown forming an okay duo. Don't get me started on the tight ends, who have been highly disappointing through eight weeks.
If Burrow finally gets some consistent help from his skill-position players, the Bengals have a shot at saving the season. Otherwise, they're bound to miss the playoffs.
