Cincy Jungle
The bye is here, and the Bengals are in free-fall mode.
The Cincinnati Bengals have hung in almost every game and have problem that they can play with some of the best teams in the NFL, barely losing to the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens.
In their Week 11 primetime Sunday Night Football battle, they drew the Los Angeles Chargers and lost 34-27 after digging themselves a 24-6 halftime hole. The Bengals defense has been horrible to say the least, and now they will get to regroup on a bye week and look towards the Steelers at home for their Week 13 battle.
That said, following the loss that made the Bengals 4-7, let’s dive into where the national media has them placed.
Soul-crushing losses the past two weeks significantly reduce their chances of surviving into postseason. But no one wants to see Joe Burrow and Co., the quarterback the first in the Super Bowl era to lose three games in a season when he throws for at least 300 yards, three TDs and zero INTs, per NFL Media.
Going off the numbers, Cappa did not have a very good campaign in 2023. And those same metrics suggest this season hasn’t gone much better. Cincinnati’s right guard ranks 60th out of 62 qualifying players in pass block win rate at that position (87%). Sure, the Bengals’ offensive linemen are under more duress than their peers because of how much Cincinnati drops back to pass. But after being a priority signing following the team’s Super Bowl LVI loss, Cappa is part of an interior group that has struggled at times. — Ben Baby
The Bengals are down to a 10.7% chance to make the playoffs, via DVOA, and that seems optimistic. If the Bengals post double-digit losses, is head coach Zac Taylor in trouble? Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo might be.
How many heartbreaking losses can they take before they fold the tents on 2024?
It’s too bad they can’t stop anybody on defense and their kicker has gone bad. This would be a dangerous team if they made the playoffs.
The best the Bengals can finish now is 10-7, and that requires them running the table from here out, with two games remaining vs. the Steelers. The playoff dream isn’t dead, but it’s certainly on life support. Early in Sunday night’s thriller, everything was going the Chargers’ way, and anyone watching could see how disgusted Joe Burrow and the gang looked as the Bengals fell into a...
