Cincy Jungle
The Bengals need to start thinking with their brains and not their hearts, or whatever organ they use to make decisions.
I’m going to be as realistic as I can.
The Cincinnati Bengals aren’t going to go to the playoffs. It’s not happening. They have found new and creative ways of shooting themselves in the foot this year. Evan McPherson is suddenly not accurate from 40 yards or more. The defense couldn’t tackle in Week 1, and they still can’t tackle in Week 11. They can’t pressure the passer unless Trey Hendrickson does it. The offensive line, made almost exclusively of free agents, is banged up and can’t protect Joe Burrow for any length of time.
The reality is that the Bengals are lucky they’re 4-7. The combination of Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase has kept them in games they didn’t deserve to be in and let them win a couple of games they didn’t deserve to win.
The title is “How they can salvage the wreckage of the 2024 Bengals season so far,” so you may be thinking it can’t be salvaged, you idiot, it’s over.
You’re right, folks. It is over.
The Bengals aren’t going to the NFL Playoffs. I know they have a mathematical chance, but not a realistic one. They can salvage what is left of the season, though, by figuring out what they have going into 2025.
That means playing with your head and realizing they won’t reach the light at the end of the tunnel this year, but maybe they can next year.
Here’s an example of what I mean.
Alex Cappa and Cordell Volson have been bad this season. PFF has credited Volson with five sacks, which is tied for the most in the league at the position, and Cappa is right behind him with four.
Do you think the Bengals will get to the playoffs by sticking with Cappa and Volson on either side of Karras, or do you think maybe it’s time to take some action and do something different?
We were all excited about the addition of Lee out of Miami of Florida late in the draft, and many think he’s the center of the future. He earned the backup spot, and now it’s time to see what he can do as the starter.
Karras has experience at guard. Move him to the left or right, whichever he’s more comfortable with, and let Lee snap the ball. If Lee holds up and does well, then you know he’s legitimately the center of the future, and the Bengals will know they need to address the guard position this offseason.
The Bengals should have traded Higgins when he asked them to before the 2024 NFL Draft. Maybe they could have gotten something for him. As it stands now, he’ll leave after this season is over, and the...
