![](\"https:\/\/platform.cincyjungle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/65\/2025\/10\/imagn-27341390.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=1080\")
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The Bengals\u2019 defense, aside from Trey Hendrickson, maybe Logan Wilson and maybe one or two other players, is a unit of failed draft picks and free agent signings across the board. After an atrociously bad season in 2024, the Bengals\u2019 front office acted this offseason as if they just got unlucky last season and thought that with a few small fixes, they would be better. That thinking doesn\u2019t work. It\u2019s one thing to be rational. It\u2019s another to be too rational.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think someone needs to step up and lead the group,\u201d Taylor said via ESPN\u2019s Ben Baby. \u201cThat\u2019s what I\u2019m waiting to see — someone to step up and lead the group and take some accountability over there and get this thing going the right way.\u201d<\/p>\n
The truth is, the Bengals have allowed 27+ points in six straight games. Six straight. There\u2019s a reason they\u2019re 2-5 in those games.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe never got a chance to break that game open like we felt we were capable of,\u201d Taylor said.<\/p>\n
Really? The Bengals led by 14 other 15 points on four different occasions Sunday, and they lost 39-38 to a New York Jets team that came into today 0-7. Not to mention, their top two wide receivers were out.<\/p>\n
The Jets totaled 502 offensive yards for only the fifth time since 2000, according to ESPN Research. The last time that happened was against the Bengals in 2021, when New York was spearheaded by a career performance from backup quarterback Mike White. It was also the first time this century that the Jets have racked up that many yards and scored at least 35 points.
\nHow does one even begin to explain that?<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m the oldest guy in the [defensive back] room, so I\u2019ll take on that role and make sure we\u2019re all right in the back end,\u201d safety Geno Stone said. \u201cBut at the end of the day, as a whole defense, everyone has to step up and play better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Darn right. If you thought the defense was bad last season, it\u2019s worse this season. Significantly worse. There\u2019s no pass rush, no run stopping, no coverage, no anything.<\/p>\n
How this team is 3-5 and won against Pittsburgh last week, I have no idea.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sunday was an inexcusable defensive performance for the Bengals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":36536,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cincinnati-bengals"],"yoast_head":"\n