I saw a local Cincinnati news anchor talking about this the other day. This is not an original thought, and I wish I knew who he was so I could give proper credit—but I don’t. Still, the point stuck.
The Cincinnati Bengals lost again. They came out of their bye week riding a two-game losing streak and desperately needed a win against a so-so Steelers team leading a so-so division. Instead, they lost 34–12. They trailed 10–9 when future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers left the game and was replaced by Mason Rudolph…and they still managed to fumble this one away.
The defense played a little better. They allowed 20 points—the Steelers’ defense accounted for the other 14—but they were still pretty bad. The play below is basically a microcosm of the Bengals’ 2025 defensive performance:
The first thing you’ll notice is Barrett Carter having his head dribbled off the turf like a basketball. Then you see Geno Stone—who was a poor tackler even back when he was good in coverage in Baltimore—attempt something that I cannot in good faith call “tackling.”
Poor tackling was an issue in 2024. Lou Anarumo took the blame for last year’s defensive collapse that kept them out of the playoffs—even though Joe Burrow put up an MVP-level season and Ja’Marr Chase won the Triple Crown. But Anarumo clearly wasn’t the problem.
Tackling has technique, sure. But a whole lot of it comes down to the “want-to.”
And right now? I don’t see “want-to” from Stone. I don’t see it from 90 percent of the defense. What I do see is missed arm tackles, bad angles, first-round defensive linemen getting boxed out by slot receivers who weigh 60 pounds less, and—most of all—no changes.
Well…that’s not entirely true.
Al Golden, in all his wisdom, benched Logan Wilson—who was voted a defensive captain by his peers—in favor of Carter (the guy who just got used as a basketball). Wilson demanded a trade, and the Bengals shipped off a linebacker who’s tied for the league lead in interceptions at his position since 2020…for a seventh-round pick. That’s the change they made.
Anyway—anger versus apathy.
Whoever that news guy was, he said you know things are truly bad when fans stop being angry and start being apathetic. He’s right.
When I was a kid and got in trouble (which was often), my parents always made sure I understood their anger and the punishment were symptoms of one thing: they cared. If they didn’t care, they’d just let me do whatever I wanted.
Anger from Bengals fans is absolutely justified. We’ve watched this team invent new ways to lose over the last month, and there has been zero accountability for anyone—players, coaches, or the folks in the C-suite. Two years of regression, and the only guy who’s been held accountable is the one who left and helped the Colts get to 8–2 with Daniel Freaking Jones.
So yes, anger is justified. It’d be weird if you weren’t angry.
Apathy, though, is dangerous.
Angry people still spend money (even if they do it angrily). Apathetic people don’t watch football teams that stop bringing them joy. This team offers nothing but misery right now.
So…are you angry, or are you apathetic?
If you have season tickets, are you thinking about selling? If you live out of town and pay for Sunday Ticket just to watch the Bengals, are you still planning on paying? Are you still going to put yourself into this team?
If the answer is yes, no judgment—I’m just genuinely curious.
Random Week 11 thoughts:
- Ja’Marr spitting on or at Jalen Ramsey is classless and straight-up gross. He did it because he was frustrated and angry. People lose their cool. I would have preferred he owned it instead of denying it, but he’s 25. He’ll get there.
- The Bengals have a left tackle problem. Amarius Mims isn’t perfect, but he’s young and moldable. Orlando Brown Jr. looks like the tin man out there. Any pass rusher with a sliver of quickness makes him look like he’s stuck in quicksand. Neither Flacco nor Burrow needs to worry about backside pressure that much.
- The offense had an off day. It happens. No team can score 30+ points every week. This is why defense matters, kids.
- DJ Turner is becoming a really good cornerback.
- Myles Murphy had a strong game. He finished with half a sack (split with BJ Hill) and four hurries, per PFF.
- The Bengals are winless against Mason Rudolph and Freddie Mercury.
My buddy asked me, “If the Bengals are a fast food franchise, which would they be?”
I answered with Taco Bell—Dogmeat in the ‘90s (and still kinda dog meat), but when they’re good they’re good. They’ll never change. He said Popeyes—“When it’s good it’s f*cking great. But I’ve never been to a Popeyes that was well run.”
I think both are pretty valid answers. What’s yours?
Moving forward, the Bengals need to win out to make the playoffs. That’s not going to happen. They still have the Patriots, Ravens, Bills, and Ravens again over the next four week. I doubt they win any of those games—though crazier things have happened.
And I know Burrow is still in his 21-day window, but at this point…what’s the point? Sure, activate him so he’s on the roster, but why play him? He’s not fixing the defense. He’s not dragging this team to where they want to go. Let Flacco take the punishment and start building for 2026.
Because let’s be honest: the Bengals are more than one offseason away from being a contender again.
Man…this was depressing.
You can tell everybody ‘bout the state I’m in
You won’t catch me crying ‘cause I just can’t win
I don’t care anymore
I don’t care anymore, d’you hear?
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