Bengals are single-handedly proving why complementary football is still required to win
The best way to visualize the dichotomy of the Cincinnati Bengals is to imagine a fighter jet trying to take off from a ditch. Offensively, they're one of the very best in the league. Defensively, they're arguably the worst. All firepower, and nothing to protect themselves. It's a level of imbalance that feels historically bad, […]
The best way to visualize the dichotomy of the Cincinnati Bengals is to imagine a fighter jet trying to take off from a ditch.
Offensively, they're one of the very best in the league. Defensively, they're arguably the worst. All firepower, and nothing to protect themselves.
It's a level of imbalance that feels historically bad, because it is.
Per The Ringer's Austin Gayle, the Bengals' offense is averaging 2.94 points per drive this season while the defense is allowing 2.73 points per drive. Both figures are the highest for the team in Weeks 1-5 since the start of the 2000s.
That means the Bengals have not averaged more points per drive scored or allowed through the first five weeks of a season in the last 25 seasons!
Sunday verified just how imbalanced the Bengals are when they put up 38 points and gave up 41 to the Baltimore Ravens. Joe Burrow threw for a career-high five touchdown passes and only nine incompletions. Four of his touchdowns came on consecutive possessions from the end of the second quarter to the middle of the fourth quarter. The Ravens scored on all four of their possessions to take the game into overtime and eventually win the game.
The Bengals have gone over 30 points in each of their last three games and have only one win to show for it. They entered this season 17-3 when scoring at least 30 with Burrow under center.
There aren't many other ways to say that this defense is killing them. 1-4 is the proof.
Complementary football involves getting the most out of all phases of the team, from offense, defense, and special teams. It's exactly what the Bengals aren't playing right now.
Cincinnati's offense looks like it can compete against any team in the league, but it will be all for naught if they have to battle their own defensive incompetency every single week as well.
Any hopes of an unlikely playoff run will be in vain unless this gets figured out immediately.
Zac Taylor’s conservatism can’t be excused away as Bengals fall helplessly into a 1-4 hole
The Bengals had a chance to win, but they took the ball out of their quarterback’s hands.
