The rollercoaster ride that is the 2025 Cincinnati Bengals season continues this week, as the Chicago Bears come to town for an interconference clash.After watching a 15-point fourth-quarter lead disappear, the vibe around the team could not have been lower. Zac Taylor demanded accountability within the group, saying someone needed to step up, in his postgame comments, and the unit held a players only meeting to map out the path forward.Also, the Bengals could find themselves in another quarterback conundrum, with Joe Flacco sustaining an injury in his throwing shoulder, meaning Jake Browning could again take the field this week.However, circumstances beyond the Paycor Stadium walls are—as crazy as this sounds—somewhat in the Bengals favor.They remain just two games in the loss column behind Pittsburgh for the AFC North and have their bye week on the horizon.Bengals fans no doubt have had that “this season is gone” feeling several times this season, but that isn’t quite the case yet. But time could soon run out quickly.Before we begin future-casting too far, there is a job at hand: Go into the bye week with a win over Chicago, winners of four-straight before losing last week in Baltimore.Ahead of kickoff along the banks of the Ohio River, here are the biggest storylines as we enter the halfway point of the campaign.Will Down Defense Respond?The story surrounding the Bengals once the clock hit zero at Paycor Stadium has trickled into becoming the story all week long: Defense.Cincinnati scored 24 points in the first half Sunday, taking a 24-13 lead into halftime. It was a lead that they would not be able to sustain, and the Bengals lost just for the second time in franchise history after such a first half output.While you can quibble with the last two drives, which totaled 14 yards in nine plays, the Bengals offense mostly did its job. Scoring 38 points should get the job done.Unfortunately for Cincinnati, it often doesn’t. Sunday’s loss was the third time in the last two seasons that the Bengals have lost when scoring 38 or more points. The only time they’ve won in that time span? A 41-24 victory over Las Vegas in Week 9 last season.After allowing the Jets to score on four of their five second-half drives, including three fourth quarter touchdowns, Cincinnati’s defense held a players only meeting. New York totaled 502 yards of offense and erased a 15-point deficit to win their first game of the season.“Making sure we are all on the same page, truly being accountable, that’s what this is all about,” rookie Demetrius Knight Jr. said of the meeting. “We have leaders on the defense, us guys know it and we’re looking up to those guys to hold us to the standard.”Entering Week 9, the Bengals have allowed the most points per game (31.6) and yards per game (407.9) in the NFL. They’re one of only two teams to allow more than 30 points and more than 400 yards per game this season (Dallas).A lot of Cincinnati’s struggles are due to a lack of bringing ball carriers down: The Bengals were credited with seven missed tackles by Pro Football Focus and lead the league in that category, having missed 81 on the season (resulting in a missed tackle percentage of 13.3%).What response will the Bengals defense have against a Chicago offense that sit in the top half of the league in total offense (350.1 yards per game)? We’ll see.Resurgent Running GameIf the Bengals defense needs a sign that things can, in fact, change, look no further than on the other side of the ball in the backfield.Through the first six games of the season, the Bengals rushing attack averaged 56.7 yards per game. Over the last two, that average has more than doubled, to 161.5.While Chase Brown is still the lead option, Samaje Perine has been more involved in the offense since Joe Flacco started taking snaps under center. After carrying the ball no more than four times in the season’s first five games, he’s had games with six, seven and nine rushes, respectively. Chicago enters Sunday having allowed the sixth-most rushing yards in the NFL. It’s a matchup the Bengals could take advantage of and keep the ground game going. Last Hoorah With Deadline Looming? History would indicate the Bengals will not be active at this year’s trade deadline, which is this coming Tuesday at 4 p.m., but that doesn’t mean there isn’t intrigue surrounding a couple of long-term Bengals.The most notable name to watch is Logan Wilson, whose demands for a trade became public in the lead up to the Jets game.Wilson has seen a sharp decline in his defensive snaps over the last three weeks. After averaging 61 snaps per game over the first month, he’s totaled 58 over the last three weeks.The decrease in snaps come as Al Golden and his staff have worked rookie Barrett Carter in over the six-year vet, who was drafted by the Bengals in the third round in 2020.Also a name that you’ll no doubt hear over the next week is Trey Hendrickson, who went through a very public battle with the Bengals’ brain trust over a new contract. The standoff resulted in a new one-year deal that gave the four-time Pro Bowler a $14 million raise.However, it’s been a tough three weeks for Hendrickson: He left the Green Bay game early due to a back injury and missed the win over Pittsburgh because he wasn’t ready on a short week.After an un-called late hit on him late in the first half against the Jets, Hendrickson again left the game in the first half, with a hip injury. He’s considered day-to-day. Despite leading the team with quarterback hits (8) and is second on the unit in tackles for loss (3), he hasn’t recorded one in either of the last two games (which has really only equaled four quarters) he has played.Cincinnati’s history of in-season trading is not very long. Their acquisition of Flacco earlier this year was just the third time the team has acquired a player via trade in season. If there were betting odds on the Bengals making a significant move, they’d be quite low.But, that won’t stop the talking heads from talking. Health Watch Hendrickson missing another game would be a huge loss to an already struggling defense, but the most impactful potential injury this week is that of Flacco.Having sustained an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor gave the veteran QB a 50/50 shot at playing.If he can’t go, Jake Browning—who played his way out of the starting job earlier this season—will go back under center.Flacco briefly went to the locker room late Sunday against the Jets, and Browning began warming up on the sideline, before Cincinnati’s incumbent returned to the field for the final drive of the game.Both Flacco and Hendrickson did not participate in practice Wednesday.Dalton Risner (illness), Logan Wilson (calf) and Marco Wilson (hamstring) also did not participate in the first day of practice.
CINCINNATI —
The rollercoaster ride that is the 2025 Cincinnati Bengals season continues this week, as the Chicago Bears come to town for an interconference clash.
After watching a 15-point fourth-quarter lead disappear, the vibe around the team could not have been lower. Zac Taylor demanded accountability within the group, saying someone needed to step up, in his postgame comments, and the unit held a players only meeting to map out the path forward.
Also, the Bengals could find themselves in another quarterback conundrum, with Joe Flacco sustaining an injury in his throwing shoulder, meaning Jake Browning could again take the field this week.
However, circumstances beyond the Paycor Stadium walls are—as crazy as this sounds—somewhat in the Bengals favor.
They remain just two games in the loss column behind Pittsburgh for the AFC North and have their bye week on the horizon.
Bengals fans no doubt have had that “this season is gone” feeling several times this season, but that isn’t quite the case yet. But time could soon run out quickly.
Before we begin future-casting too far, there is a job at hand: Go into the bye week with a win over Chicago, winners of four-straight before losing last week in Baltimore.
Ahead of kickoff along the banks of the Ohio River, here are the biggest storylines as we enter the halfway point of the campaign.
Will Down Defense Respond?
The story surrounding the Bengals once the clock hit zero at Paycor Stadium has trickled into becoming the story all week long: Defense.
Cincinnati scored 24 points in the first half Sunday, taking a 24-13 lead into halftime. It was a lead that they would not be able to sustain, and the Bengals lost just for the second time in franchise history after such a first half output.
While you can quibble with the last two drives, which totaled 14 yards in nine plays, the Bengals offense mostly did its job. Scoring 38 points should get the job done.
Unfortunately for Cincinnati, it often doesn’t.
Sunday’s loss was the third time in the last two seasons that the Bengals have lost when scoring 38 or more points. The only time they’ve won in that time span? A 41-24 victory over Las Vegas in Week 9 last season.
After allowing the Jets to score on four of their five second-half drives, including three fourth quarter touchdowns, Cincinnati’s defense held a players only meeting. New York totaled 502 yards of offense and erased a 15-point deficit to win their first game of the season.
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“Making sure we are all on the same page, truly being accountable, that’s what this is all about,” rookie Demetrius Knight Jr. said of the meeting. “We have leaders on the defense, us guys know it and we’re looking up to those guys to hold us to the standard.”
Entering Week 9, the Bengals have allowed the most points per game (31.6) and yards per game (407.9) in the NFL. They’re one of only two teams to allow more than 30 points and more than 400 yards per game this season (Dallas).
A lot of Cincinnati’s struggles are due to a lack of bringing ball carriers down: The Bengals were credited with seven missed tackles by Pro Football Focus and lead the league in that category, having missed 81 on the season (resulting in a missed tackle percentage of 13.3%).
What response will the Bengals defense have against a Chicago offense that sit in the top half of the league in total offense (350.1 yards per game)? We’ll see.
Resurgent Running Game
If the Bengals defense needs a sign that things can, in fact, change, look no further than on the other side of the ball in the backfield.
Through the first six games of the season, the Bengals rushing attack averaged 56.7 yards per game. Over the last two, that average has more than doubled, to 161.5.
While Chase Brown is still the lead option, Samaje Perine has been more involved in the offense since Joe Flacco started taking snaps under center. After carrying the ball no more than four times in the season’s first five games, he’s had games with six, seven and nine rushes, respectively.
Chicago enters Sunday having allowed the sixth-most rushing yards in the NFL. It’s a matchup the Bengals could take advantage of and keep the ground game going.
Last Hoorah With Deadline Looming?
History would indicate the Bengals will not be active at this year’s trade deadline, which is this coming Tuesday at 4 p.m., but that doesn’t mean there isn’t intrigue surrounding a couple of long-term Bengals.
The most notable name to watch is Logan Wilson, whose demands for a trade became public in the lead up to the Jets game.
Wilson has seen a sharp decline in his defensive snaps over the last three weeks. After averaging 61 snaps per game over the first month, he’s totaled 58 over the last three weeks.
The decrease in snaps come as Al Golden and his staff have worked rookie Barrett Carter in over the six-year vet, who was drafted by the Bengals in the third round in 2020.
Also a name that you’ll no doubt hear over the next week is Trey Hendrickson, who went through a very public battle with the Bengals’ brain trust over a new contract. The standoff resulted in a new one-year deal that gave the four-time Pro Bowler a $14 million raise.
However, it’s been a tough three weeks for Hendrickson: He left the Green Bay game early due to a back injury and missed the win over Pittsburgh because he wasn’t ready on a short week.
After an un-called late hit on him late in the first half against the Jets, Hendrickson again left the game in the first half, with a hip injury. He’s considered day-to-day.
Despite leading the team with quarterback hits (8) and is second on the unit in tackles for loss (3), he hasn’t recorded one in either of the last two games (which has really only equaled four quarters) he has played.
Cincinnati’s history of in-season trading is not very long. Their acquisition of Flacco earlier this year was just the third time the team has acquired a player via trade in season. If there were betting odds on the Bengals making a significant move, they’d be quite low.
But, that won’t stop the talking heads from talking.
Health Watch
Hendrickson missing another game would be a huge loss to an already struggling defense, but the most impactful potential injury this week is that of Flacco.
Having sustained an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor gave the veteran QB a 50/50 shot at playing.
If he can’t go, Jake Browning—who played his way out of the starting job earlier this season—will go back under center.
Flacco briefly went to the locker room late Sunday against the Jets, and Browning began warming up on the sideline, before Cincinnati’s incumbent returned to the field for the final drive of the game.
Both Flacco and Hendrickson did not participate in practice Wednesday.
Dalton Risner (illness), Logan Wilson (calf) and Marco Wilson (hamstring) also did not participate in the first day of practice.