11/29/2025
Last week, I was convinced the season was over. The Bengals, once again, fooled me and the rest of the world. Right now, it’s VERY possible both the Ravens and the Steelers begin to flame out, and the Bengals begin to catch fire again. In some ways, they’re much better off at this stage of the season than they were last year. They’re two games behind them both, with the Steelers playing the Bills Sunday with an opportunity to go up 3 games.
Anyway you cut it, it’s totally possible the Bengals catch them both, and punch a ticket. And this, I have to say goes to resilience. The Bengals defense deserves a TON of credit for not packing it in this season and continuing to develop and improve every single week. Their performance last night included plays a lot of teams would have gave up on. They were chasing guys down, forcing fumbles, blocking passes, and taking advantage of mistakes being made by their opponents. Given the criticism they have faced, and the win/loss record so far, it would be easy for this squad to give up on this season. Joe also deserves a ton of credit for setting a goal to return this year and making it happen.
As far as I’m concerned, the Bengals can MISS the playoffs altogether this season, if that means this young defense develops into a solid defense for next season. This was the gamble they made by spending so much on the offense. They felt they could go “proven” players on offense, and young on defense. Now they don’t have money for defense, they have to get these young guys performing like veterans.
Here’s the list of guys we need to “develop” into solid players:
• Shemar Stewart (DE) – Round 1
• Demetrius Knight Jr. (LB) – Round 2
• Kris Jenkins (DT) – Round 2
• McKinnley Jackson (DT) – Round 3
• Myles Murphy (DE) – Round 1
• DJ Turner II (CB) – Round 2
• Jordan Battle (S) – Round 3
• Dax Hill (CB/S) – Round 1
• Cam Taylor-Britt (CB) – Round 2
• Joseph Ossai (DE) – Round 3
The learning process at the pro level is, go play, make mistakes, review the tape, learn from those mistakes. This season the coaching staff pretty much looked at this young group, and said, “We’re ripping the band aids off, no more hiding behind veterans.” And they did this with almost all these guys simultaneously. Years prior they would bring in vets and slowly work in the young guys, not this year. They let the vets walk, and went with the youth movement.
It was bound to be an ugly process, but… It could still work. If this season is one big sacrificial lamb in order to teach our young players and we go into next season with more clarity and some emerging defensive stars, then it’s all worth it.
Listen, I know the Cincinnati haters want nothing more than to wake up one day and see the same headlines we seen from Carson Palmer, but this time for Joe Burrow.
“Burrow demands a trade.”
It’s the one consistent thing I’ve heard dating all the way back to the Super Bowl run. But, it’s clear to me Joe Burrow is not Carson Palmer. They’re not the same guy. One has proven to himself he can win in Cincinnati and the other blamed Cincinnati for not winning. As long as JaMarr Chase and Tee Higgins are on this roster, Joe Burrow won’t be going anywhere. That was his message to the front office. I want them both, get it done.
They did… Burrow isn’t leaving Cincinnati.
So, if we come into next season with some young defensive stars emerging, and an offense that rivals the best ever put onto a field, the Cincinnati Bengals might again, shock the world. To be frank, that could all still happen this year, and be unfolding before our very eyes.
