The Cincinnati Bengals have the worst defense in the NFL, according to nearly all statistical categories. The team appears to be spiraling headed into the final weeks of the season at 3-7.
On offense, quarterback Joe Burrow was lost to injury in Week 2 and star receiver Ja’Marr Chase has now been suspended a game and faces a heavy fine for spitting on Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey on Sunday. An incident that was captured on high definition video, yet Chase is appealing.
But even if Cincinnati was 100% offensively, the defense has played so poor it likely would have been their downfall this season. Former defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo was let go by the Bengals after last season and the team hired Al Golden from Notre Dame.
The Bengals Lead the NFL in Missed Tackles By a Mile
One poor defensive stat that really jumps off the page is the Bengals have recorded 126 missed tackles this season, according to Pro Footbal Reference. That’s 30 more missed tackles than any other team and more than double the league average.
Head coach Zac Taylor was asked postgame after a 34-12 loss to the Steelers Sunday if he believes there needs to be personnel changes on the defensive side of the ball.
“No,” he responded without elaborating further.
GettyPITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – NOVEMBER 16:Head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Head coach Zac Taylor of the Cincinnati Bengals meet after the Steelers beat the Bengals 34-12 at Acrisure Stadium on November 16, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
The Bengals have finished 9-8 each of the previous two seasons under Taylor after reaching the Super Bowl in 2022 and AFC Championship in 2023. He has a career regular season record of 49-58 and a playoff record of 5-2.
Cincinnati sits three games back in the AFC North, but Burrow hasn’t been cleared to play and the playoffs look unlikely.
Calls for Zac Taylor to be Fired Are Mounting
The Bengals remained really loyal to Taylor’s predecessor, Marvin Lewis, but that won’t stop the fanbase calling for change.
John Acree with Cincy Jungle wrote Monday, “Enough is enough.”
“(Taylor’s) days as the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals should, by all rights and measures, be over as of now,” Acree added. “This latest debacle, a 34-12 shellacking at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers, is the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
Taylor is under contract with the Bengals through the 2026 season, earning about $4.5 million per year. Although the exact payout or buyout terms haven’t been made public, NFL head-coaching deals typically include guaranteed money. As a result, Taylor would likely receive the remaining portion of his guaranteed salary—likely several million dollars—if he were fired. In other words, letting him go wouldn’t be nearly as devastating for him as it would be for most people and the Bengals would be off the hook rather quickly.
At postgame news conferences, Taylor has tried to put a positive spin on things.
“We’re working like crazy to make sure that this doesn’t happen,” he said. “It happened today. It’s disappointing. Our option is to come back tomorrow and keep fighting and find a way to get a win.”
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