What can we say about the Bengals; their season was over before it began. They did manage to claw their way back to a 9-8 record, but losing in wk.1 to the New England Patriots cost them their season. They had their patented slow start, which was too much to overcome. They need to address this and alter their preseason to be better ready for the start of the regular season. There is no doubt they were better this season than a couple of AFC teams that did make it to the playoffs.
QB
Simply put, Joe Burrow is a stud. He had his best season and is absolutely one of the top five QBs in the game. He lost Tyler Boyd and RB Joe Mixon in the offseason, yet the offense didn’t miss a beat. The Bengals were first in passing yds with 272.9 per game and sixth in scoring, averaging 27.8 points per game. Burrow missed 5000 passing yards by 82. He posted a 108.5 QB rating, completing 70.6% of his passes and throwing 43 TDs to only nine interceptions.
RB
As great as their passing game is, their running game is equally as bad. While Burrow led the team to the number one passing rank in the league, their running game only came in at 30th…gaining only 92.6 rushing yards per game. They replaced Joe Mixon with Chase Brown, and he was great. He put up similar numbers to Mixon in years past and was a big threat in the passing game, too. Brown gained 990 yds with a 4.3 avg and scored seven TDs. Complimentary backs, Zack Moss and Khalil Herbert, just weren’t good enough. They only combined for 356 yards and two TDs. As great as Burrow is, he can’t do it alone…he needs a more balanced offense with help on the ground.
WR
The team’s bread and butter has been the passing game for a while, and this year was no different. Even without Tyler Boyd, Burrow put up amazing numbers with his remaining two WR targets, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. All signs point to Higgins moving on this year, which will make Chase the only game in town for Burrow. But Burrow has proven to be able to elevate other receivers. Aside from Chase and Higgins, Burrow integrated TE Mike Gesicki and WR Andrei Iosivas into the passing game. Gesicki had his best season since 2021, catching 65 passes for 665 yards. In his second season, Iosivas caught six TDs on 61 targets and 36 receptions. Of course, it was Chase who led the way, catching 127 passes for 1708 yards and 17 TDs. Higgins chipped in with 73 catches, 911 yards, and 10 TDs.
DEFENSE
Cincinnati’s defense was average at best this season. They ranked 19th in rushing defense and 22nd in passing defense. And they ranked an unsustainable 25th in points allowed, giving up 25.5 pts per game. They did have a .2 advantage in turnover margin and were middle of the pack in interceptions with 15, led by S Geno Stone. LB Jermaine Pratt led the team with 143 tackles.
HEAD COACH
Zac Taylor was able to avoid the chopping block this season after this underachieving 9-8 record for a second consecutive season. He was hired in 2019 and only managed to win two games. With the first pick of the 2020 draft, they selected Burrow. But year two wasn’t much better, with them only going 4-11-1 after Burrow went down mid-year. Taylor got a vote of confidence from management after the season, and he rewarded them with a Super Bowl appearance in 2021, losing to the Rams 23-20. And in 2022 Taylor managed to get them back to the AFC Championship game after a 12-4 season. But there is no doubt the last two seasons have been disappointments. And at this point, Taylor is on the hot seat. They have a Ferrari in Burrow and need a coach that can get him to the promised land.
