Since the midway point of the 2024 season, the Cincinnati Bengals have been struggling on defense. Their main offseason focus was purging the coaching staff on that side of the ball, while also replenishing
the unit with young talent.
For a brief recap, the Bengals brought in their former linebacker coach and Notre Dame defensive coordinator to man that post with the team, along with Jerry Montgomery (defensive line), Mike Hodges (linebackers), as well as Sean Desai, Mike Moon, and Ronnie Regula as defensive assistants. The Bengals also invested three of their first four picks in the 2025 NFL Draft on defensive players.
However, to say that it has been a failure of an approach would be an understatement. The Bengals not only have back-to-back losses in winnable home games, but said defeats have showcased epic collapses by Cincinnati’s defense.
Usually, even struggling and/or rebuilding defenses do something of note to negate the massive amount of shortcomings. However, the Bengals’ defense under Golden has been historically bad in nearly every notable facet through nine games.
To boot, the Bengals are at or near dead-last in the more surface-level stats, including rushing yards per game, passing yards per game, and the like. The unit was adept at creating turnovers early in the season, but that has sputtered the past two weeks, with their failure to create any turnovers the past two weeks (both losses).
Experiencing growing pains under a new staff is one thing, but what we’ve witnessed this year is another thing entirely. The supposed “back-to-basics” approach from Golden this spring and summer, focused on sound tackling and getting off the field, has, frankly, been blown to smithereens.
This bye week will be a critical turning point for the team and both its immediate and long-term future. Had the Bengals pulled out the wins versus the Jets and Bears, they’d be 5-4 and near the top of the AFC North going into their bye.
Instead, they’re 3-6 with teams calling for the services of Trey Hendrickson and Logan Wilson. To boot, they still have two games against the Ravens, another against the Steelers, a road game against the Bills, as well as one against the resurgent 7-2 Patriots.
If the team makes any changes, be it to the coaching staff or their roster, the time heading into their mid-season break is the time to do so. We’ll see if they are buyers or sellers around the looming trade deadline and/or if they can make up some ground in the coming games.
