Two seasons in purgatory is two seasons too many.
“Clark, I think it’d be best if everyone went home…… before things get worse.”
“WORSE!?! How could things get any worse? Take a look around here, Ellen. We’re at the threshold of Hell!”
The Cincinnati Bengals are in a bad place, and they’ve found themselves there two years in a row. Once because of injuries and once because the Bengals couldn’t find a way to win with a quarterback having an MVP-caliber season and a wide receiver winning the Triple Crown.
Both seasons ended with a 9-8 record, which is just bad enough to keep you out of the playoffs and just good enough to keep you away from picking in the top 10 of the upcoming draft, where you could really land a game-changer.
This is a fate they avoided after Joe Burrow’s rookie season. They finished with a 4-11-1 record and landed Ja’Marr Chase with the No. 5 overall pick a few months later. There are benefits to finishing a season with a record that just boasts a handful of wins. Had the Bengals finished the 2024 season with a similar record, they’d be in prime position to land a talented edge rusher, a great defensive tackle to pair with the two they drafted in 2023, or a shutdown corner.
Following the Bengals’ 9-8 2023 finish, they grabbed right tackle Amarius Mims with the No. 18 overall selection. It was a good pick, as Mims showed he has what it takes to be a bookend tackle opposite Orlando Brown Jr., but he came with some risks. He had only made eight career starts while at Georgia and he came with some injury history, which we saw throughout his rookie season between his preseason injury and the recent broken hand he suffered.
That’s what they can expect in the 2025 draft as well — a player they like but has some question marks. At the mid-teens, the truly elite guys, at least the ones who could impact the game from the first snap, are gone, and the only way to get one if you don’t have a top-10 pick is by trading up. We all know that’s not going to happen.
There’s more to it than just the draft position as well.
The Bengals fired their defensive coordinator, two defensive coaches, and their offensive line coach. Should they have done more?
Probably?
Why didn’t they?
Because they won five games in a row to finish the season and ended up with a winning record. Because they looked like a competent football team through the last third of the season. Because Taylor had done enough to hold on to his job for another year.
If they lose the last two games of the season and finish with a 7-10 record, there’s a real chance every coach other than Dan Pitcher gets fired. Maybe that’s what needed to happen. Maybe Taylor isn’t the coach to get the Bengals a Lombardi Trophy. If that’s the case, we won’t know until it’s likely too late.
So yeah, in many ways, finishing the season with a near .500 record and staying in the hunt for a Wild Card spot until the very end is worse than finishing with just a few wins.
It’s bad enough to miss the playoffs, but it’s good enough that no real change is made. Think of the Bills for much of the 2000s before Josh Allen. They were nearly always in the neighborhood of 6-to-8 wins. Constant purgatory, a 17-year playoff drought, and never won more than nine games until 2019.
They were the Jeff Fisher of NFL franchises.
That’s what the Bengals must avoid, but that’s where they’ve been for two straight seasons.
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Now then, if I told you before Week 1 that Burrow would finish the season with MVP numbers, Ja’Marr Chase would win the triple crown, and Trey Hendrickson would lead the league in sacks, you’d probably guess the Bengals won the Super Bowl, or at least went deep into the NFL Playoffs.
Nope.
This will go down as one of the most monumental failures in NFL history. They started the season slow, as is Zac Taylor’s way, and by the time they got it figured out, the hole they dug themselves was too deep. They needed help from the Jets (which they got) and the Chiefs (which they didn’t), and now their season is over.
It’s nobody’s fault but their own. Had they not fumbled the winning touchdown away in the Patriots game, they’re still in the playoffs. Had they not missed a kick in OT against the Ravens, they’re still in the playoffs. Had they not allowed the Steelers offense to score 44 points, something they haven’t done since 2018, and allowed Russell Wilson to pass for over 400 yards (he never even got to 300 yards passing in any other game this season), the Bengals are still in the playoffs.
Unfortunately for them (and us), every time they scored a hit on the enemy, they also shot themselves right in the foot. One day, when my grandkids ask me about the craziest thing I’ve ever seen in football, I’ll tell them the story about Burrow, Chase, and the 2024 Cincinnati Bengals season.
Some random thoughts on the Steelers game and the season as a whole:
- Cody Ford isn’t the best offensive lineman on the team, but the Bengals asked an awful lot from him this season. He played every position other than center and right guard, making starts at left tackle, left guard, and right tackle. The AFC North is loaded with edge rushers, and Ford only gave up five sacks, according to PFF, on the whole season from multiple different positions. I don’t think he’s the permanent answer at either guard position, but I do think I’d like him back for the 2025 season.
- Hendrickson was unblockable for most of the last two seasons. He finished with 17.5 sacks in 2023 and 2024 and led the league this year. Unfortunately, both of these seasons were wasted on 9-8 records. Hopefully, he’s got enough in the tank for a couple more.
- Chase Brown was missed against the Steelers. Khalil Herbert was decent, but he lacks Brown’s explosiveness. I’m excited for 2025 when Brown will be the featured back for the entire season.
- The Bengals have so many holes that need to be filled. They need to address both guard positions, defensive tackle, edge, corner, and safety. Realistically, the Bengals could use some help everywhere except for quarterback and offensive tackle.
- I hope the Bengals can find a way to re-sign Higgins AND extend Chase. Burrow would likely need to restructure his contract to make it possible, but the offense with both Chase and Higgins on the field is almost unstoppable.
- Jermaine Burton has been a massive disappointment. I know he’s on his rookie deal, but I would rather the Bengals cut ties with him now than risk locker-room distractions in what may be one of the most crucial offseasons in team history. He could still probably fetch a Day 3 draft pick somewhere.
- I want the Bengals to re-sign Mike Gesicki for multiple seasons. He and Burrow have a good thing going.
- I am excited about what we will get from Erick All in the future, because I really think he could be the best tight end on the roster. Watching Drew Sample run through people will never not be fun to me, though.
- I would like the Bengals to see if they can keep Burrow upright next season. Watching him perform some magic trick to escape the pocket is awesome, but wouldn’t it be nice if he wasn’t getting hit 20 times a game? I don’t want him to be the next Andrew Luck.
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Closing time
Every new beginning
Comes from some other beginning’s end
