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For the second time in as many seasons, the Cincinnati Bengals‘ defense has been a talking point for all the wrong reasons. Zac Taylor’s team can’t seem to get a stop, and that has come back to haunt them again this season.
In fact, the Bengals’ defensive struggles are unprecedented. As pointed out by NFL on CBS on X, they currently have the absolute worst defense in the Super Bowl era, giving up a whopping 33.3 points per game.
Trouble in Cincinnati pic.twitter.com/PWx5uMyo3K
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) November 15, 2025
The Bengals parted ways with former defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo at the end of last season. And while the numbers certainly justified that, he’s a well-known and respected defensive figure in the league, and he clearly wasn’t the problem.
This team has invested plenty of draft capital into fixing the defense, but to no avail. They’ve spent most of the money on the other side of the field, and it shows.
Even with Joe Flacco taking the reins of the offense for the injured Joe Burrow, the Bengals’ offense has been able to put up big numbers. The only problem is that they can’t get the opposing offense off the field.
This team has dropped consecutive games in the last drive of the game, and it feels like no lead is safe, regardless of how many points they score. Now, with Joe Burrow aiming for a return in a couple of weeks, they will have to find a way to win at least one game to keep their playoff hopes alive for when their star returns.
NEXT: Bengals Front Office Called Out For Draft Day Mistake