The Bengals have had a hard time putting together complete games, but as they hope to be at the onset of a winning streak, the next few weeks give them the opportunity to further find themselves.
“Never count your chickens before they hatch” is an adage that goes back a long way, but it also applies to football.
The sport, especially at the NFL level, is a one-game-at-a-time league, and pretty much every coach and player will tell you as much. However, there are times when looking down the road at upcoming contests can provide context.
In a must-win contest, the Cincinnati Bengals gutted out a tough one in New York. Those not in the Bengals or Giants contingents may have called it “boring”, but the Cincinnati defense rose to the occasion and led the team to a 17-7 victory.
At 2-4, when you look at the Bengals’ roadmap to this point, the Bengals have yet to put together a “complete game” in all three phases of the game (offense, defense, special teams). Let’s recap:
Week 1: In a shocking 16-10 home and season-opening loss to the Patriots, Cincinnati’s defense was average to above-average (did enough for the team to win), while the offense plodded to team points and 224 total net yards (154 passing, 70 rushing).
Week 2: In what could be coined the game in which the Bengals came the closest to putting it all together, Cincinnati suffered its second consecutive loss against the Chiefs. Cincinnati’s defense allowed 320 total yards, but also netted three turnovers, while Joe Burrow had a 103.7 rating, although the team ran for just 3.4 yards per carry.
Week 3: The Bengals’ offense was explosive on the following Monday night against the Commanders, putting up 33 points and 436 total yards on offense. But, major defensive issues and a missed kick by Evan McPherson wiped away a quality performance by Dan Pitcher’s unit.
Week 4: Cincinnati grabbed a two-possession win, but it was a bit closer than noted. Old friend Andy Dalton had a quality day against his old team, as did the Carolina rushing attack, putting up 373 total yards to Cincinnati’s 375.
Week 5: In what be the regular season game of the year, Cincinnati lost to Baltimore in shocking, overtime fashion, 38-41. Burrow had one of the best statistical games of his career, putting up close to 400 passing yards and five touchdowns, only to see his defense allow Lamar Jackson to over 400 all-purpose yards and four passing touchdowns of his own.
Week 6: Cincinnati’s defense stepped up after a “Players only meeting” during the early part of the week, allowing Daniel Jones and Co. to put up just seven points and forcing a red zone turnover. However, the Bengals’ offense didn’t have anywhere near the explosiveness seen the previous four weeks, showcasing mistakes and having a rare week filled with pass protection issues.
So, even if these brief synopses, you can see the lack of all three units coming together to play “complementary football.” No team is absolutely perfect week-to-week, but the start of this season is a stark contrast to what we’ve seen from this Bengals team when they were playing their best ball in the late fall/winter months of 2021 and 2022.
By now, the trend is there: Zac Taylor’s Bengals, for better or for worse, play their best ball in November and December. We can attribute the slow starts to the preseason plan, Burrow’s injuries, and other spring/summer oddities, but Cincinnati hits its collective stride after Halloween. We even saw this last year after Burrow went down, with the team going 4-3 down the stretch and staying alive for the postseason late into the year with Jake Browning at the helm.
When you’re a 2-4 team, it’s hard to be overly optimistic about making a historic turnaround to get into the postseason in mid-October. However, this team still boasts a lot of talent and the sense that they’ve underachieved can’t be denied.
And, in looking at the next handful of games in the team’s quest to get back to .500 by the middle of the year, that path seems achievable—not only because of their trend of mid and late-season surges, but because of who is on the slate. The next three games have the Browns, Eagles, and Raiders coming up before another big rematch in Baltimore.
Those three teams currently hold a combined record of 6-11. To boot, each team seems to be embroiled in some form of minor or major turmoil. While we’ve chronicled the Bengals’ own issues, there have been trade rumors (and a deal done) about a couple of Las Vegas stars, the Eagles head coach has been combative with the team’s fans, and Cleveland seems to be ruing the day they paid Deshaun Watson his mega-contract.
As we noted in a recent episode of The Orange and Black Insider, we talked about the dangers of “looking ahead,” but one can’t notice that this is an opportune time for the Bengals to continue to figure things out to make a late run. Additionally, the returns of Cincinnati’s defensive starters over the past couple of weeks have given them a boost, and there is hope that all of this lines up for a springboard to an unlikely playoff berth.
Again, one could look back at the four losses and also note the lack of a “clutch gene” in many of these games this year as a major issue. It’s not just poor play by units, it’s when these bad moments occur. Even Burrow, who is putting up MVP like numbers with limited turnovers, has had two critical plays (fumble return for touchdown against Kansas City and interception against Baltimore on a historic day) that has contributed to the 2-4 record.
There are no gimmes in the NFL, to be sure. But, Cincinnati, who has had its ups and downs face others with their own problems and with the perceived talent and leadership on the Bengals, it appears to be just the right time to go on a much-needed streak to right the ship.
