To the surprise of no one, the Cincinnati Bengals defensive players held a players-only meeting on Monday. Anyone who watch the Bengals defense get absolutely shredded by a New York Jets‘ offense that hadn’t done much of anything all year, will not be shocked by this news.
The Bengals entered the game with the 31st-ranked defense (now 32nd…surprise) in the entire NFL and went out onto their home field on Sunday and proved why.
Rookie linebacker Demetrius Knight, Jr. said that the players wanted to discuss some issues and hold some folks accountable, but that this will be the only time they try to patch things up by “talking in chairs.”
“No, there are no more meetings,” Knight said on Monday following the 39-38 meltdown. “We’re just gonna continue to keep doing what we’re doing. Sitting in a chair isn’t gonna help people tackle better. Sitting in a meeting room isn’t gonna, you know, fix schemes. It’s only about, again, mastering the basics, going back to believing in each other, believing in the guy to your left and to your right, and having the confidence in that as well.”
Remarkably insightful for a rookie, maybe some of the veterans should take notice.
Cincinnati Bengals’ Al Golden doesn’t have any answers
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor decided to make a change at defensive coordinator this offseason after the defense ranked 25th in the NFL in 2024 and cost the team a shot at the playoffs. Lou Anarumo, who ran the defense from 2019-204, was sent packing and Al Golden was brought in.
So far, it’s hard to argue that the defense has been anything but worse. In fact, Sunday’s performance might have been its worst in recent memory.
“That it’s unacceptable,” Golden said about the two touchdown lead that was blown in the last seven minutes. “There’s a higher standard there, and we let our brothers down on special teams and offense, and we can’t do that. It’s as simple as that. So I don’t know what was talked about, nor should I.
“It does feel like the fact that that was called is a sense of urgency there, as there should be, because we cannot do that to the offense or special teams again.”
For what it’s worth, Anarumo is now running the Colts defense, which ranks 24th in the league right now. That said, they are also 7-1 so who cares?
Cincinnati Bengals’ defense is on the cusp of setting records
Just how bad is the defense? Well, the Bengals have now allowed at least 27 (TWENTY SEVEN…I couldn’t put numbers in all-caps) points in seven consecutive games.
Since 1996 (Super Bowl era), only five teams have gone longer and the Bengals could set that record before we celebrate the Pilgrims eating dinner with the Native Americans. The current record is held by the Los Angeles Chargers, who had nine in a row back in 2020.
Three other teams have streak of eight, including the 2016 Cleveland Browns (they didn’t win a single game that year), the 2019 Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the 2023 Washington Commanders.
This is not good company. Maybe it was discussed in the players-only meeting?
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