The Cincinnati Bengals returned to Paycor Stadium in Week 5 looking to build momentum and remind the league that they’re still contenders in the AFC. Instead, they left their home crowd frustrated and searching for answers after a 31–20 loss to the Detroit Lions — a game that featured bright moments, familiar frustrations, and some downright ugly football that left the Bengals at 2–3 and reeling for direction.
Let’s break it all down.
The Good
Ja’Marr Chase Shines and the Defense Fights
Even in a deflating loss,
Ja’Marr Chase reminded everyone why he’s among the NFL’s elite. The star receiver hauled in six receptions for 101 yards and two touchdowns in a game that Cincinnati definitely needed big plays on offense. Chase continues to be the offense’s heartbeat — even on a day when much else went wrong.
Defensively, there were moments to appreciate as well. Trey Hendrickson was once again disruptive, tallying two sacks and multiple pressures on Jared Goff, while Joseph Ossai and Myles Murphy also brought Goff to the turf. For continuously being put in precarious positions, Al Golden’s defense held up in some ways and gave the offense a chance to claw back — but the help they needed was too little, too late.
The Bad
The Bad: Offensive Play-Calling and Browning’s Missed Opportunities
The Bengals’ offense has been searching for rhythm all season, and Sunday was no exception. With Jake Browning starting once again in place of the injured Joe Burrow, Cincinnati’s attack sputtered and stalled far too often. Browning finished the day 26-of-40 for 251 yards, three touchdowns, and three more interceptions, but those numbers don’t tell the full story. Too many throws were late, too many reads were missed, and the Bengals fell into a big hole early on.
It didn’t help that the play-calling remained conservative and predictable, especially on early downs. Offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher leaned heavily on runs that Detroit’s front seven sniffed out repeatedly, leaving Browning in long-yardage situations. On third down, the Bengals converted just 4 of 11 attempts, a glaring problem that has plagued them through five weeks.
Throw in a run game that netted under 100 yards as a team (31 of which were by Browning), and the offense once again set up the team for failure. Cincinnati’s first five offensive drives of the game saw them end with three punts and two interceptions, as the unit managed just three first-half points.
The Ugly
Self-Inflicted Wounds and a Third-Consecutive Blowout Loss
The Bengals were minus-2 in the turnover margin, and it could have been worse if the team hadn’t recovered two other fumbles of its own on offense. Since taking over for Burrow through four games, Browning has had three games with multiple turnovers committed.
Not coincidentally, the Bengals have lost their last three games by a combined 76 points, resulting in an average of a 25.3-point differential per game. While this week’s loss and differential to the Lions wasn’t a team-worst (like it was against the Vikings a few weeks ago), and they showed some signs of improvement from the past two losses, the team has looked completely overmatched in recent weeks.
This, of course, begins to harken back to long-standing narratives about the team, its leadership, and championship viability in the foreseeable future.
Final Thoughts
Trouble Brewing in the Jungle
A home loss like this stings more than most. It wasn’t just that the Bengals lost to a good Lions team — it’s that they once again looked disjointed, undisciplined, and unprepared. The defense gave them chances. Ja’Marr Chase did everything he could. But the offense remains a work in progress under Jake Browning, and predictable play-calling continues to limit the unit’s potential.
At 2–3, Cincinnati is far from out of the playoff picture — but urgency is rising. Whether Joe Burrow’s return is imminent or not, this offense needs a spark and a plan. If they can’t find answers soon, the “bad” and “ugly” of Week 5 could become the story of their season.
WE’ll see what the recent acquisition of Joe Flacco will mean for the team, but no matter who is under center, a wide variety of facets need to greatly improve, should the Bengals begin to take advantage of a weak AFC conference right now.
