Led by Head Coach Zac Tayor, this Cincinnati AFC team is struggling overall and going into their bye week. The Bengals have been on the decline for the last 2 years, being 9-8 last season and being 4-7 this year. When looking at these AFC matchups this week, the Bengals odds of making the playoffs begin to look like more of an uphill climb. With the Cleveland Browns (3-8) beating the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3), this win for the Browns puts them only 1 game behind the Bengals and decreases the unlikely odds of Cincinnati making the playoffs. Outside of the AFC North, some teams are in the same situation the Bengals are in currently. In the AFC South, the Titans and Colts are both having a hard time finding the wins needed. Even with the Titans winning against the Texans they are only 3-8, making them the 13th seed for now. On the other hand, the Titans are better than some people would think being the 9 Seed in the AFC. Another team that has been struggling in the AFC is the Dolphins (5-6). Being the 8 seed and only finding their wins from teams that also have been struggling, the Dolphins are not a team the Bengals will have to worry about going into the playoffs this year.
How will The Bengals Unlock a Playoff Run?
Winning every single game is the only option. This is because the AFC is a ruthless conference and even if the Bengals win every game these playoff odds are still slim. Looking at future games this will not be easy and Zac Taylor will have to make good decisions offensively and most importantly defensively. The Bengals defense allows 5.3 yards per play and allows 4.4 yards in the running game. Unlike the terrible defense, offensively the Bengals get 7 yards per pass and average 5.5 yards offensively this team does not flow because of its defense. Fans are also having a hard time thinking positively. Jack Negrete, A long-time fan of the Bengals says, “We need to stop the explosive plays defensively, and our corners need to step up. We need teams to be scared of our defense.” The key to unlocking the playoffs is fixing the defense. Lastly, Jack Negrete talked about Cincinnati’s offense, “With Burrow playing how he is we’re never out of it”.
What Does Cincinnati Need to Do to Win the Rest of The Season?
The defense needs to change and adapt each week to the new threats. The Bengals next games will be hard a tough because of all of the teams they are facing only the Titans are struggling offensively. Nick Johnson, a Lakota West Graduate and radio commentator for The University of Missouri believes, “The Bengals need to get better defense acquisitions and better playcalling on defense”. Offensively the Cincinnati Bengals are doing great. Led by Joe Burrow, he has been putting up record-breaking stats. As well, being a top 5 quarterback in the NFL, this offense just needs to keep doing what they are doing.
