The Cincinnati Bengals head into their bye week searching for answers.
How to get better?
What plays should stay? What should go?
Are lineup changes needed?
Although the Bengals are in good shape from a record standpoint to make a deep playoff run, the way the team has looked through five games gives cause for concern.
From head coach Zac Taylor to quarterback Joe Burrow, it was made abundantly clear the Bengals have work to do.
"Coming out of week five, I think we recognize some things that we're doing really well," Taylor said on Oct. 12. "And then there's a couple of things that are really easy to clean up, really easy. So the good news is it's not a concern that this is unfixable.
It's just a couple things that we got to get cleaned up going into the next divisional game."
They’ll try to use the bye week to self-scout, get healthy and regroup before what’s shaping up to be a tough six-game stretch ahead. The Bengals will travel to Madrid to face the Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 8 before two primetime games.
Here are the biggest questions the Bengals will face after the bye week.
Can the Bengals get their first AFC North win?
When the Bengals return from their bye week, the season starts to get real. The Bengals travel to Baltimore and will face the Ravens on Oct. 25 at M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore sits atop of the AFC North with a 4-1 record. The Bengals are 3-2, 0-1 in the division.
Beating the Ravens would put the Bengals right back in the mix of the race to win the AFC North. A loss could put the Bengals in an 0-2 hole in the division, and that would be a tough hole to crawl out of.
Prior to the start of the season, Burrow set Super Bowl expectations for the Bengals. The easiest path to getting there is to host playoff games at Paycor Stadium. Home teams have a real advantage in the postseason, and winning the AFC North would ensure the Bengals get to host a playoff game. The team hasn’t hosted a playoff game since 2021 when it beat the Las Vegas Raiders to advance to the divisional round.
What changes do the Bengals make on defense?
The Bengals looked like a different unit on defense during the first two weeks of the season. Since the 30-27 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bengals have given up 46 points and 328 yards on the ground.
Through five games, the Bengals have proven they can get to the passer. They rank No. 3 in the NFL in sacks with 17. The issues for the Bengals on defense have come in stopping the run and covering tight ends. Cincinnati has given up the second-most yards to tight ends so far this season at 90. 2 yards per game.
The Bengals need to improve their tackling, and if they do so, it will help against the run and defending tight ends. Linebacker Barrett Carter and Jordan Battle lead the team with seven missed tackles.
Second-year defensive coordinator Al Golden and his coaching staff will be tasked with undergoing a self-evaluation and perform a thorough review of all areas. The changes the Bengals make coming out of the bye week will play a significant role in determining how far the team will go.
Can the Bengals offense finally put it all together?
Expectations for the Bengals’ offense are incredibly high because of the star power the unit possesses. All 11 starters from Cincinnati’s offense in 2025 returned. They were supposed to pick up right where they left off last season being able to run the ball effectively.
During the offseason and training camp, they worked on adding elements of the under-center offense to their playbook. The goal was to be a more explosive offense that took care of the ball. And they’ve struggled to put it together.
Right now, the Bengals are clunky on offense. They’ve had moments of greatness and ugliness. They’re averaging 25.6 points per game, which is 10th in the NFL. Cincinnati ranks No. 26 in rushing offense (82.8) and No. 7 in passing offense (260.0).
They should be a top 5 offense with receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins and Burrow. The Bengals also are the only team in the division to retain their head coach and offensive coordinator. It should look better than it has through five games.
After beating the Dolphins on Oct. 11, Burrow wasn’t happy with the team's performance. Penalties (44) and turnovers (six) have been problematic for the Bengals through five games.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: These are the most pressing questions for Bengals after the bye
