Few teams are facing more pressure this season than the Cincinnati Bengals. They were once viewed as the most legitimate AFC challengers to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC but they have failed to make the playoffs in each of the last three seasons. This team has perhaps the premier pitch-catch combinations in the NFL with Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase, yet the Bengals have one fourth-place finish and two third-place finishes since their last postseason appearance following the 2022 season.
Injuries to Burrow in 2023 and last year were key factors in the Bengals disappointing play, but the biggest problem has been a defense that yields big yardage, big plays and big points on a regular basis.
Head coach Zac Taylor's defense was simply brutal last year, ranking 31st in yards allowed, 32nd in rushing yards given up and 30th in points allowed. The Bengals paid quite a bit of attention to their defense in the offseason with the additions of DT Dexter Lawrence, S Kyle Dugger, DL Jonathan Allen and LB Boyd Mafe. They joined key players in LB Demetrius Knight and S Jordan Battle. The additions the Bengals made appeared to lead to progress in season-opening victories over Tampa Bay and Houston.
However, the Bengals defense did not do its part in their Week 3 30-27 loss to the Steelers. There was quite a bit of regression in that game as ancient Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw for 292 yards and 3 TDs against the Bengals defense. Running back Jaylen Warren dominated the Cincinnati front with 127 rushing yards, a 7.5 yards per carry average and a long run of 35 yards.
Upcoming battle against Jaguars is bounce-back opportunity
The Bengals are facing a critical test in Week 4 at home against the opportunistic Jacksonville Jaguars attack. Jacksonville (2-1, first place in the AFC South) is coming off a 35-6 rout of the Patriots, and QB Trevor Lawrence threw 3 TD passes that led to the domination of the defending AFC champions.
Knight is the leader of the Bengals defense and he has 28 tackles and a fumble recovery that he turned into a touchdown. Battle has 23 tackles, 2 passes defensed and 1 interception. Both Knight and Battle much be on point if the Bengals are going to slow down the Jaguars.
The Bengals also have to put pressure on Lawrence, and that's where Allen, Lawrence and DE Cedric Johnson come into play. All three have 2.0 sacks and have shown the ability to win the battle at the line of scrimmage.
Cincinnati has made some progress overall on defense, ranking 9th in rushing defense. The Bengals are allowing 95.7 yards on the ground per game. Overall, they are giving up 21.0 points per game, and that puts them in a tie for 13th with the Los Angeles Rams.
If the Bengals are going to help out their defense come up with a winning performance against the Jaguars, they need to maintain possession of the ball.
While they need Burrow to avoid throwing interceptions — he has only thrown one this season — they have to establish the running game with Chase Brown. He has rushed for 197 yards, a 4.0 yards per carry average and one touchdown. He is not a breakaway threat, but he can provide steady gains that allow the Bengals to maintain possession.