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After starting the 2025 NFL regular season with back-to-back wins over the Cleveland Browns and the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Cincinnati Bengals now find themselves under .500. They have gone winless in their last three outings, including Sunday’s 37-24 loss at the hands of the Detroit Lions at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati
The absence of star quarterback Joe Burrow due to an injury has clearly taken a toll on the Bengals, but head coach Zac Taylor would rather assign the blame to himself, particularly about the struggles of his team’s ability to move the chains and put points on the board.
“I got to be better for this football team. It’s my responsibility … Put this on me. I’ve got to do a better job getting us in a rhythm … need to keep us out of danger,” Taylor said, per Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic.
In the Lions game, the Bengals scored their most points in a contest in three games, but 21 of their total output came in the final period. Jake Browning, who has taken over the QB1 role temporarily, threw for a total of 251 passing yards and three touchdowns on 26-of-40 pass completions versus the Lions, but he also got picked off three times and sacked twice for a loss of 14 yards.
One positive takeaway for the Bengals from the meeting with the Lions was the solid performance of star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
The star Bengals downfield weapon had been relatively quiet in the previous two games, during which he racked up just 73 receiving yards with zero touchdowns on 10 catches and 14 targets. But against Detroit, the 26-year-old wideout put up 110 receiving yards and found the end zone twice on six receptions and 10 targets. It’s worth noting that the two interceptions Browning threw in the first half were both targeted at Chase.
The Bengals have several days ahead to think of a way to improve their offense. Given their struggles on that side of the field, there’s the possibility that Cincinnati would make a change under center, opting to go with Brett Rypien over Browning for their next game against the Green Bay Packers in Week 6.
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