Report cards…ugh. Mom and Dad won’t be happy about this one.
This coming weekend of NFL football has always been my favorite of the season. I love watching the AFC and NFC championship games.
Often, one of those two games becomes the best of the season. It brings back fond memories of watch parties with friends when I was younger, and there’s just something special about the game before the big game. When players are that close to reaching the Super Bowl, it seems to bring out the best in them.
It’s hard to watch the playoffs without the Cincinnati Bengals, but that’s life. They didn’t earn or deserve a spot. They shot themselves in the foot too many times. I truly believe a game between the Chiefs and the Bengals is better than one between the Chiefs and Texans, but that might just be jealousy talking.
Let’s get to it.
Report Card
Quarterback: A
Joe Burrow finished the season with 4,918 passing yards, 43 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He added two rushing touchdowns. Had the Bengals finished the season with a better record or sneaked into the playoffs, he very likely could have been voted the NFL’s MVP. Throughout the season, he put the team on his back but was let down repeatedly by an inept defense and offensive line. If he has a similar season in 2025, and the Bengals fix their defense and offensive line, they will be the team to beat.
Running Back: B-
The Bengals don’t use the running game to set up the pass. The offense flows through Burrow, and the running backs are often afterthoughts or used in pass protection to keep defenses honest. However, Chase Brown had a breakout season, finishing with 990 rushing yards, seven touchdowns, and an average of 4.3 yards per carry. He wasn’t RB1 to start the season, but he ended it that way. Zack Moss and Khalil Herbert were limited contributors. Expect the Bengals to feature Brown as RB1 in 2025 and pair him with new free agents or a draft pick.
Wide Receiver: A-
Ja’Marr Chase won the Triple Crown, finishing the season with 127 receptions, 1,708 yards, and 17 touchdown receptions, smashing franchise records. Tee Higgins added 73 receptions for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns. These two stars carried the grade. Andrei Iosivas, the WR3 for much of the season, only tallied 479 receiving yards. Tight end Mike Gesicki was their best weapon after Chase and Higgins. If the Bengals don’t keep Higgins beyond 2025, his replacement is not currently on the team.
Tight End: C+
Gesicki and Burrow developed solid chemistry throughout the season, though Gesicki is more of a slot receiver than a traditional tight end. He struggles in pass protection. Drew Sample carved out a niche as a tight end/offensive tackle/fullback hybrid, while Erick All impressed as a blocker and receiver before his knee injury. Tanner Hudson contributed occasionally but fumbled a touchdown in Week 1 that could have clinched a playoff berth.
Offensive Line: D
The starting line—Orlando Brown Jr., Cordell Volson, Ted Karras, Alex Cappa and Trent Brown—faced challenges. Rookie Amarius Mims stepped up after T. Brown’s season-ending injury, and O. Brown played well before injuries hampered him. Cody Ford was versatile but inconsistent. However, both Volson and Cappa struggled mightily, allowing a combined 14 sacks per PFF. Upgrading the guard positions will be critical in 2025.
Defensive Line: C-
Trey Hendrickson led the league with 17.5 sacks, but injuries to Sam Hubbard and poor play from Sheldon Rankins (before he was sick for two months), who was a key free agent signed in the offseason, limited the unit’s overall impact. Rookies Kris Jenkins and McKinnley Jackson showed promise late in the season, as did Joseph Ossai, who recorded sacks in six of his last seven games.
Linebacker: C-
The defense struggled all season, particularly in tackling. PFF credited Logan Wilson with six missed tackles and Germaine Pratt with 20, the seventh most among linebackers who played at least 50% of defensive snaps. Pratt did manage two interceptions, but both he and Wilson graded poorly in coverage. They did, however, rank near the top of the team, according to PFF, with their run-defense score.
Secondary: F
The secondary was the defense’s weakest link. Injuries to Dax Hill and DJ Turner hurt, but Cam Taylor-Britt’s regression and inconsistent play from safeties Geno Stone and Vonn Bell were costly. Jordan Battle stepped in and improved the unit late in the season, but it wasn’t enough to salvage the group or save defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s job.
Special Teams: C
The Bengals’ coverage and return teams earned an A, ranking among the best in the league. However, the specialists were inconsistent. Evan McPherson struggled with accuracy on long field goals, and Ryan Rehkow’s botched hold against the Ravens was critical. Together, the unit earns a C.
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Go Buffalo and Washington. That would be a fun Super Bowl. I don’t want to see a Chiefs-Eagles game again. I guess I wouldn’t mind a Bills-Eagles game. Basically, I just want the Chiefs to lose the AFC Championship game.
Against the wind
I’m still runnin’ against the wind
I’m older now but still runnin’
Against the wind.
