Cincinnati formally has an enormous drawback on their arms. The Bengals discover themselves at 1-4 after the primary quarter of the season, which significantly hurts their probabilities of making the playoffs. This franchise is not any stranger to slow begins, having overcome 0-2 data the previous two seasons to end above .500, however it is a totally different degree of self-inflicted points.
The offense has largely returned to type, scoring 38 factors with a number of large performs in opposition to the Baltimore Ravens this week, however the defense has fallen towards one of many worst models within the NFL. Against a quarterback the caliber of Lamar Jackson, their defensive effort simply wasn’t going to reduce it — and the Bengals could properly battle to overcome their defense for the remainder of the season.
According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, the Bengals rank thirtieth in anticipated factors allowed per play (0.10) on defense this season. They haven’t finished an excellent job retaining that facet of the ball stocked with expertise since they made it to the Super Bowl a number of years in the past in opposition to the Rams, and now discover themselves in a spot the place they cannot cease a nosebleed, a lot much less a two-time MVP quarterback. The Bengals have allowed 32.3 factors per sport over their final 4 video games, which features a 24-point effort by the Panthers, who simply obtained smothered by the Bears this previous weekend. It doesn’t matter what number of 50-yard touchdowns Burrow can throw to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, if they will’t cease anybody on the opposite facet they are going to proceed to lose video games.
That’s what truly had to make this loss so irritating for Bengals followers. The offense went again to what it is anticipated to be in opposition to a Ravens defense that simply held the Bills to 10 factors final week. Burrow was taking part in with confidence once more, Chase and Higgins had been dominating the Ravens’ protection and the offensive line held up properly sufficient given the quantity of instances that they threw the ball. But it simply didn’t matter as a result of the Bengals’ defense was knifed via with ease by the Ravens offense.
Baltimore went an astonishing 10 of 15 on third-down makes an attempt on this sport, averaged 6.8 yards per play and solely had one first down by way of a penalty. The Ravens additionally gained 520 whole yards, earned 30 first downs, and had a purple zone effectivity (touchdowns per possession) of 83.3%, in accordance to TruMedia. They had been simply cruising up and down the sphere doing no matter they needed.
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Jackson threw for 345 yards and 4 touchdowns, and Derrick Henry trampled the Bengals' defense as properly en route to 92 yards and a landing on the bottom. The Ravens ought to stay the most effective offenses within the league, and so they nonetheless have one other sport to play in opposition to the Bengals this yr. There’s no motive to assume that Baltimore gained’t have the ability to rating at will the second time they play, barring harm.
By the requirements of anticipated factors allowed per play, solely the Jaguars and Rams have been worse than the Bengals' defense from an effectivity standpoint. Nobody is anticipating these groups to be contenders on the finish of the day, however sadly that is the tier of groups the Bengals discover themselves in at this level within the season. They have so many holes on defense, from linebacker to secondary play, that there isn’t even a fast repair or resolution that they will discover on the commerce deadline that can get them again to the place they need to be. This is a multiyear course of until a few of their youthful gamers develop at a speedy tempo this season.
Buckle in, Bengals followers. This season may simply be a protracted one. The offense will give them an opportunity in any sport, however it’s not truthful to ask them to rating 40 week in and week out simply to have an opportunity to win a sport. Good offenses just like the Commanders and Ravens aren’t going wherever, and proper now these opponents simply seem to be too onerous for this defense.
