The Cincinnati Bengals’ long-shot playoff hopes were on the line in Week 15, but they didn’t play with that type of urgency all afternoon in a weak-sauce loss to the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 24-0.

A bad omen before kickoff came in the form of Paycor Stadium failing to clear out snow until way too close to the game’s starting time. That pretty much set the tone for what happened on the field.

Just feels like there’s a lot of clutter, a lot of chaos, and a lot of uncertainty engulfing the Bengals, including quarterback Joe Burrow. Anyway, let’s dive into Sunday’s winners and losers on an ice-cold day where Cincinnati’s offense was also ice-cold.

Winner: Demetrius Knight Jr.

As of the middle of the second quarter, Knight had aligned five times on the defensive line and played six snaps in the box. Could his future be on the edge? Or could the Bengals keep getting creative with how they deploy their defensive end rotation to confuse opponents?

On back-to-back plays, Knight sacked Lamar Jackson and made a hustle tackle on a screen play. He added another sack in the third quarter, too. Easily the most the second-round pick out of South Carolina has flashed all year.

Olha o calouro Demetrius Knight com fome!

📺: #BALvsCIN ao vivo, em português, no NFL Game Pass pic.twitter.com/aKHsNZppTY

— NFL Brasil (@NFLBrasil) December 14, 2025

Knight’s ability to hold up just outside the tackle gives defensive coordinator Al Golden all kinds of possibilities to get more exotic with simulated pressures in the future. Maybe that’s a good silver lining to cling to regarding Knight’s outlook, since his rookie season has been such a colossal disappointment overall.

Loser: Participants in Bengals’ WR3 derby

Cincinnati could’ve used a wide receiver to step up on Sunday in Tee Higgins’ concussion-caused absence. Nobody did.

Andrei Iosivas couldn’t secure a critical catch in the first half. Mitch Tinsley was basically invisible. A right ankle injury thwarted the possibility of return man Charlie Jones from contributing more. This comes on the heels of 2024 third-round pick Jermaine Burton being waived.

Wouldn’t be the worst idea for the Bengals to evaluate the position closely in the draft and free agency. Thanks to Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase, receiver isn’t the most pressing need for this team, but any notion that this is a deep group is no longer based in reality.

Winner: Jordan Battle

Happy Birthday to Jordan Battle! Ravens wideout Zay Flowers absolutely cooked All-Pro caliber Bengals cornerback DJ Turner on this particular route, but let the ball slip through his grasp.

An interception for the birthday boy 🥳

📺: #BALvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/6dxCPR676Z

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) December 14, 2025

Battle had some nice run fits throughout the game as well. He’s a real bright spot on a Bengals D that needs all of those it can get heading into next year.

It’d be fascinating to see what Battle could be with a superior player next to him. Geno Stone will hit free agency this offseason, and Cincinnati should try to upgrade at that spot to help Battle take the next step amid a promising trajectory.

Loser: Joe Burrow

An off day at the office for Joe Brrr in the freezing elements. He took a big sack early on to knock Cincinnati out of field goal range, and floated a lazy, high pass over the middle that bounced off Ja’Marr Chase’s hands and resulted in an interception in Ravens territory.

In the third quarter, Burrow also missed Mike Gesicki on a fourth-and-4 up the seam for a touchdown that would’ve cut Baltimore’s lead to 14-7. To cap it all off, a deep red zone pick-six punctuated Burrow’s disastrous outing.

.@KVN_03 INT AND @alohigilman RETURNS!!!!!!!!!!!

Tune in on CBS! pic.twitter.com/11PRjfu9tW

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 14, 2025

It’s understandable that there’s still some rust to knock off. Throwing the ball with winds gusting up to 25 mph in such cold temperatures ain’t easy. Even less so when you feel like you have zero margin for error due to the frequent futility of Cincinnati’s defense.

Factoring all that in, Burrow will still be hard on himself for his Week 15 performance. It’s OK, Joe. Just stay healthy for next season, please.

Loser: Zac Taylor

There’s a football cliché that goes something like, “Players, not plays.” Just before his return to action from turf toe surgery, Burrow said words to that effect (via ESPN.com):

“There’s not a scheme in the NFL that is so revolutionary that it’s going to completely change the way a player plays the game…Coaches work really hard, are smart and they work a lot of hours to put players in position to make plays.”

You know what, though? It’d be kind of nice to give Burrow a smidgen of help in a schematic capacity.

Bengals head coach/play-caller Zac Taylor feels more like someone who’s along for the ride while Burrow is a de facto coach on the field, as opposed to an offensive mastermind who elevates his elite QB. That’s one reason why Cincinnati could be in the market for a coaching change post-Week 18.

I’ve defended Taylor a lot throughout the season. The offense has mostly been humming whether it’s Burrow or Joe Flacco at the controls. I just wonder if there’s an upgrade out there who’d give an arm and a leg for the chance to meld minds with Joey Franchise.

The more losses that pile up down the stretch, the less likely it looks that Taylor will finish out his contract next season. That’s especially so when the offense puts up zero points through three quarters.