The Bengals sure feel like a team on the cusp of major changes

The Cincinnati Bengals have three games left this season, but it sure feels like the focus has already shifted to an offseason likely littered with change.

Yes, yes, it’s scary to entertain the idea the Bengals will make big changes. Marvin Lewis was around for nearly 20 years. Zac Taylor took the team to a Super Bowl, so how much time did that buy him?

But it’s not that simple.

Joe Burrow is deflated, waxing poetic around the holidays after an aggressive injury comeback about finding the fun in the sport. His demeanor is noticeable and the on-field mistakes, like inaccurate decisions, poor throws and a few whiffs on protection calls played a big part in the 24-0 loss to Baltimore.

After the game, Ja’Marr Chase had some telling comments, via CLNS Media’s Mike Petraglia:

There were many factors that played into Lewis remaining in Cincinnati for so long. There wasn’t an NFL-best Triple Crown winner speaking out. There wasn’t a borderline NFL MVP and hometown kid dejected after three straight years of playoff misses.

There is Taylor, whose postgame comments have become dry, except for when he admitted after the Ravens loss that things just weren’t great.

“It’s frustrating,” Taylor said. “This is a team that I thought was a talented team that was going to have a chance to do big things this year.”

A team that wants to win can’t go 1-8 without Burrow with valid questions surrounding effort and decision making. It can’t ask him to be perfect all the time and compensate for those negatives.

And it simply cannot have a season with lowlights like, for example:

Zac Taylor getting another chance by re-tooling his coaching staff, only for the biggest change (defensive coordinator) to produce a nearly worst-ever unit

Ja’Marr Chase losing his cool and spitting on an opponent, leading to a suspension

Trey Hendrickson pushing back early, re-aggravating an injury, not going to injured reserve, then getting shut down

Joe Burrow pushing back admirably for a memorable Thanksgiving win, then collapsing in key moments or games in the weeks after

It’s clear to everyone, on the outside anyway, that the Bengals need a new energy. It was fun and culminated in a Super Bowl appearance, but Burrow’s team clearly needs a shift.

There’s no easy fix, especially when a change at head coach doesn’t mean Tobin’s staff or the decision-makers overseeing it all actually change, too.

But the next three weeks will probably feel like going through the motions before big changes, because there’s no good way to justify rolling the same thing out again in 2026.

This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: The Bengals sure feel like a team on the cusp of major changes

The Bengals sure feel like a team on the cusp of major changes

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