The gut punch to end all gut punches…

Cincinnati Bengals v Buffalo Bills – NFL 2025 | Jamie Schwaberow/GettyImages

For all the deserved praise Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden deserves for banding his unit together to improve in recent weeks, Sunday’s 39-34 loss to the Buffalo Bills seemed to prove that spike in form was an aberration.

While it does come down primarily to how players execute on the field, Golden didn’t put Cincinnati in enough good spots in Buffalo to emerge victorious.

In fact, if not for DJ Turner forcing a James Cook fumble for a touchback on the goal line, the final score probably would’ve looked worse. Containing Bills quarterback Josh Allen is almost impossible, but Golden didn’t help himself or his defense at all with one awful blunder in particular.

Bengals DC Al Golden made Josh Allen’s game-winning run way too easy

Joe Burrow threw two interceptions on as many pass attempts in the fourth quarter. One was a pick-six that continued a disturbing trend of the Bengals surrendering touchdowns without their defense on the field. That was the fourth in as many games.

However, Burrow stormed back, tossed a long TD to Tee Higgins prior to the two-minute warning, and the Bills got the ball back as Cincinnati had two stoppages in tow.

After one run by Cook and a great sack of Allen, Buffalo faced a third-and-15 in their own territory. Golden dialed up Good Ol’ Country Man Coverage, without anyone to spy Allen.

The result was an 18-yard run by the Bills’ dual-threat QB to mark a fitting, effective end to the season in early December.

JOSH ALLEN SEALS THE GAME ON 3RD & 15 😤 pic.twitter.com/26NwXV4NQm

— NFL (@NFL) December 7, 2025

Just baffling to not have anyone marking Allen, or simply dropping in zone coverage on such a long third down. Allen was looking to check it down to the flat, but instead, the seas parted before him and he took full advantage.

Not that rookie linebackers Barrett Carter or Demetrius Knight Jr. spying Allen, or dropping into zone might’ve helped the Bengals fare much better. It’s just sad that they can’t be coutned on for such simple tasks.

Hard to even blame the rookie LBs, either.

They had Day 3/Late Day 3 profiles.

Shouldn’t have been drafted where they were and shouldn’t have been relied on as starters as rookies.

— Gridiron Grading (@GridironGrading) December 7, 2025

I praised Golden earlier this week for attacking opponents harder, courtesy of a recent surge in Cover Zero blitzes. Those were few and far between from Allen.

Baffling that Golden didn’t lean on that part of his play sheet more in the snow, where the Bills’ suspect receiving corps struggled to separate. Instead, Buffalo exploited Carter, Knight, and Cincinnati’s linebacker corps all day by targeting tight ends Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox, and even Jackson Hawes for a decisive 3-yard TD.

Bringing more all-out pressure would’ve given Allen less time to release the ball, not to mention closed down his rush lanes. A six-man rush did lead to Allen’s 40-yard TD run, but that third-and-15 call will stick with me for a long time. Well, until the next defensive meltdown us Who Dey Heads have to endure.